


Heartland Burst

by Scattered_Irises



Series: Heartland Burst [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Gen, Identity Issues, Loosely based off Karakuri Burst, Mutilation, Post-War Heartland, Revolution, Suicide, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-01-04 06:43:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12163575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scattered_Irises/pseuds/Scattered_Irises
Summary: The sunny city of their youth is no more. It has been reduced to rubble and ashes after the Academian invasion. Rising from the rubble are the two opposing factions, Silver Crescent and Golden Sun. Ties are cut and bonds of steel are forged. The ghost city is reborn in a symphony of explosions and the slashing of blades. One side fights for change, while the other clings onto the laws of old. Finding themselves on the opposite sides of the battlefield, Christopher and Kaito must decide where their loyalties truly lie...Or get swept away by the torrent of bloodshed.





	1. What the Stars Remember

Fragment 1:What the Stars Remember

 

  “Count as many stars as you can in the sky. That will be the number of all the wonderful people you will meet throughout your life,” said Christopher as he lay in the grass. 

  His silver braid had come undone and his lab coat was spread underneath him. City lights dotted the horizon, a reminder that he wasn’t far away from the city that never slept. Compared to the rolling hills of the countryside, the small park felt inadequate, a parody of the real thing. The green grass rustled in the summer breeze and Christopher closed his eyes. Perhaps his imagination could take him home. But when images of his smiling brothers were replaced by their tears and pleading, Christopher opened his eyes to the few sparse stars in the sky.  _ If I look hard enough, the stars could be the sky’s tears,  _ he thought melancholically. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up. 

  “Unfortunately, the light pollution doesn’t allow us to see that many stars in the city.”

  Silently, Kaito agreed. So far, he had been able to count only fifteen stars.  _ Well. It seemed to be true so far. He hadn’t met anyone that wonderful yet.  _ If fifteen people were all the good he would meet in this world, his future appeared very bleak. When Kaito looked at Christopher, his mentor’s eyes shifted their attention to his student. His lips curved into a small smile and he motioned to the sky with a tip of his chin.

  “I wonder if I’m one of the stars you see,” he murmured. 

  After a harsh day of training, the gentleness of his mentor was a small relief. Yet it felt like the calm before the storm.  _ There will only be more pain awaiting you tomorrow _ , whispered Kaito’s screaming muscles. Relishing the tranquil moment was not an option, unless he wanted the pain to be intensified. Knowing that, Kaito turned away from Christopher.  _ Don’t grow close to him. Haruto is all you will ever need. _

  “I’m not sure,” Kaito replied monotonously.

  A small chuckle came from the man he had barely known. In the stillness that followed, Christopher took in a small breath. 

  “I hope we can grow together, Kaito,” said Christopher. “I want to learn more about you.”

  The sparse stars continued to shine in the sky. Like the blinking stars, Kaito remained silent. He shouldn’t hope. He  _ couldn’t  _ hope. But why then, was that small spark of hope in his chest growing?  _ I want to learn more about you too,  _ he thought. Quickly, he pushed the thought away. No. He couldn’t allow himself to give in to this stranger.

 

* * *

 

 A breeze passed by his face, its breath warm and stifling. The person in front of him was no longer the man he knew. Amidst the rubble of the city, he had seen him from afar. At first, he had doubted his eyes, believing that the fading daylight was affecting his perception. But once he approached the figure, his fears had been confirmed. Attached to the man’s long coat was a crescent, the mark of the enemy. His silver locks had been gathered into a low bun, the hair ribbon weakly fluttering in the wind. When he saw the person that approached him, his deep blue eyes widened in surprise. They soon narrowed into his familiar glare. Readjusting his own sun pin, Kaito readied himself for combat. 

  “Chris,” he said, the name foreign against his tongue. 

  It had been awhile since he had said the name, the familiar words turning sour in his mouth. 

  His opponent quickly replied, his voice deep and calm like so many other times he had spoken.

  “I am no longer the man you seek. Christopher Arclight died in the Academian invasion. Standing before you is Begonia, a commander of Silver Crescent.”

  Kaito grimaced.  _ It’s like the WDC all over again _ , he thought. His mentor had thrown away his name once more and had shed the personality of Christopher Arclight. Standing before him was the enemy, a member of Silver Crescent. The terrorist organization that sought to end his bloodline. 

  “Your father failed to protect this city during two invasions,” began Begonia. 

  His long, elegant fingers came out of his draping sleeves. Then they folded, leaving just the index finger pointing to the sky. 

  “One. He failed to protect the citizens during the Barian Invasion.” 

  Another stifling breeze passed between the two. The remains of the city were their only witnesses. Before Kaito could retort, Christopher— no,  _ Begonia  _ continued. Now his middle finger joined his index finger. 

  “Two. He failed to protect the city during the Academian War. It was only because we were able to return from Astral World in time that we were able to oust them from our city,” finished Begonia.

  “And your point is…?” growled Kaito, preparing himself for the usual Silver Crescent excuse. 

   There was still a twinge of hope in him that Christopher was still in there. If Christopher didn’t say the words that passed through the lips of the rebel enemies— 

  “There needs to be a change in leadership. In order to prevent another failure in leading this city, we must eliminate the problem from root to flower.”

  Immediately, Kaito’s heart fell. The words had been uttered. That cursed mission statement. An enemy of Golden Sun stood before him. And he knew what he had to do. For if he faltered, he would be the one who would be killed. Not only did Silver Crescent want his father dead, they wanted  _ all  _ of his family dead. Much to Kaito’s dismay, he was a part of the kill list.  _ Root to flower. _ He didn’t even want to rule the city after his father passed, but who would listen to him? Definitely not an organization hellbent on erasing every trace of Tenjo influence. 

  Readying his katana, he saw twin blades fall into Begonia’s hands. They shone in the dying sunlight, the immaculate metal soon to be sullied. A cloud of dust blew across the two and Kaito held his breath. Any moment now. He looked around, his senses on edge. Any moment now. His skin prickled. His opponent’s silhouette began to approach him.  _ Don’t give in. It will be difficult to regain ground if you are the one giving it away.  _ His mind began to run through the hastily taught lessons. 

_  You don’t belong here. It’s a duel disk that you need. You’re a Numbers Hunter, not a killer... _ a small voice whispered in his mind. Pushing the thoughts away, Kaito saw his opponent leap towards him. He blocked the hit, his arms shaking from the might his opponent possessed. Despite his lanky build, Christopher had always been quite strong. Instinctively, Kaito leapt back and inwardly chided himself. So much for training. 

  Relentlessly, Begonia continued to rain blows on him, every hit barely blocked. Those familiar blue eyes of his had turned to steel, unyielding and unforgiving. 

  “No matter how much you struggle, we  _ will _ destroy your bloodline in the end,” vowed Begonia. 

  Kaito feinted and then swung at Begonia. The attack was quickly evaded.

  “If you think about it, sword fighting is the same as dueling. It’s raw instinct mixed with strategy at times,” noted Begonia as he easily avoided another attack. “It’s a pity that I was the one who taught you all you know about dueling. For now I…”

   He saw the approaching blade too late. 

  “...can predict all of your sloppily timed slashes in a sword fight.”

  And the blade plunged into his right eye. Pain exploded across his face and a part of his world turned black. He felt the blood dripping down his cheeks like tears and Begonia’s unreadable expression. Without another word, Begonia pointed a bloody blade to his fallen opponent’s neck. 

  “It’s unfortunate how things must end this way. I expected more from you.” 

_   Bang.  _ The sound of a gunshot filled the air. Feebly, Kaito attempted to see who was the one who fired the shot. With one hand over his eye and pain throbbing in his face, he was only able to see blurred shapes. A deep, throaty voice called his name. Boots hitting against the broken asphalt was heard, followed by a swishing of air and a trail of silver. In his pain-induced stupor, an unexpected smile found its way across Kaito’s face as a familiar scent passed by him. It was strange how, in such a time like this, Christopher continued to use the same brand of shampoo that he had always used. 

  When the two figures appeared in his vision, he attempted to rise. The familiar faces of Droite and Gauche were stricken with worry. 

  “Stay down,” instructed Droite. “We’ll bring you to the nurses.”

  “But...Begonia..,” whispered Kaito.

  Droite shook her head. 

  “I sent Mizael after the enemy.”

  “He...he...can’t do it,” wheezed Kaito. 

  “Stay down,” said Droite tersely. 

  “You’re in no position to say who’s ready and who’s not. You might lose that eye, for goodness’ sake,” growled Gauche. 

  Droite silenced him with a glare. Then she turned back to Kaito.

  “This might hurt a bit.”

  Before Kaito could say anything else, Droite pulled out a syringe and inserted it into his neck. The sharp pain was soon dulled by the darkness that followed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first piece of writing! Feel free to critique and such. As mentioned before, this AU is based on the Karakuri Burst series by Hitoshizuku and Yama. You could get more context to this story if you listen to the entire series.


	2. Blood Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Destiny Ties: The bonds you create with people you meet throughout your life. They may be imposed upon you by your position in life or forged over a long period of time with someone you hold important in your heart.   
> Blood Ties: The bonds you share with the members of your family, whether it be a sibling, cousin or parent. These bonds are formed from the moment you are born.   
> Both have potential to strengthen or weaken. Begonia must decide which ties he trusts more and face the consequences of his choice.

Fragment 2: Blood Ties

 

 “I have completed my mission,” announced Begonia as he entered the dark room.

 Amidst the hastily arranged furniture, broken tile floors and dimly burning candles, a shadow shifted in its seat. The red velvet cushion had stuffing spilling out of it, some of it littering the ground. A foot cleared it away, barely making a sound. In the dim light, the shoe seemed too pristine for a place like this, a place where bygone luxuries came to die. Begonia bit his lip as his eyes observed the room’s derelict atmosphere.

 A roaring fireplace. The comfy red sofa in the middle. The family photographs hanging atop the mantle. His brothers laughing. _No._ He couldn’t think about that. Looking into the past would only bring back unwanted memories. Academia’s invasion had taken away everything that had belonged to them, leaving only the remains of a once-joyous home. Or had that already been taken away, when Dr. Faker betrayed his father? Looking back into the corner where the figure sat, Begonia waited. After a few moments of only the aged grandfather clock ticking, Begonia finally heard his commander speak.

 “Completed? No. You are far from done. Only when it has been announced by all that the heir is dead will your mission be complete,” stated the figure.

 The chair creaked in protest as the figure stood. Carefully making their way through the broken tile fragments and glass across the floor, the figure came into the light. Another memory rose into Begonia’s mind. He quickly shooed it away and looked into the golden eyes that bore into him. This was not the man who taught him how to duel. This was not the man he had followed, all those years ago. Those words repeated over and over again in his mind, the only way he could block the memories. Byron Arclight was no longer here. No, it was the leader of the Silver Crescents, Moonflower, that was standing in front of him. But why the, did he look so much like his father?

 In the dim light, Moonflower’s monocle seemed to glow with a life of its own. Tears sprung in Begonia’s eyes as he felt Moonflower grasp his shoulder strongly. _Just like he had always done when he was about to go on the expedition._ No. Those were two different people. Blinking his tears away, Begonia refocused his attention on Moonflower. Unlike all the other times, Moonflower’s voice was soft and hushed when he spoke.

 “I understand that it’s going to be difficult to eliminate your previous student. But remember what the Academians and Tenjos did to us. They destroyed our home. They took everything away from us. And what did Faker do? Nothing. Absolutely nothing while we were away in Astral World, fighting. It wasn’t easy, getting this body back, as you can remember. So I plan to do something useful with it.” Moonflower paused a bit, looking at Begonia’s features. “If we eliminate the enemy, we can become a family again.”

 That promise again. It had been used during the World Duel Carnival. And what happened after? They had barely become a family. Only the surface cracks were sealed. Deep down, everything was still a swirling mess of anger and confusion. Yet, much to his chagrin, a bit of hope flared in Begonia’s heart. Perhaps this time they would become a family...But what choice did he have? Either he obey his commander or get branded as a traitor. False hope was better than having none at all.

 Quietly, Moonflower offered his hand. His eyes glimmered in the dim light and his grave expression was devoid of all warmth. No. This was not his father. Kneeling, Begonia knelt down to kiss the outstretched hand that was cold to the touch.

 “I know I can always count on you, Begonia,” murmured Moonflower as he withdrew his hand and walked away.

 His footsteps quietly clicked against the tile floor as he left. Left in silence, Begonia closed his eyes. For once, he allowed the memories of his childhood to envelop him. And for once, he was warm.

* * *

 

 “It’s not going to be easy to kill the heir, will it?” asked Tiger Lily through his meal.

 Begonia readjusted his posture. No one called Kaito by his name anymore. He was just “The Heir.” The heir to the city of rubble and ash. It was as if a title would distance themselves from him. Slowly, Begonia turned his eyes towards Tiger Lily. A smile spread across Tiger Lily’s lips. His red eyes glimmered in delight and the scar under his right eye gave him a cruel air. Resting his tanned hand in his maroon and gold locks, he revealed his teeth in his smile. Unlike the rest of his tanned features, his teeth were snow white. It was his pride and joy, a memory from his days in the professional dueling circuit.

 “Don’t tell me you still have feelings for him. Me? I threw whatever I had with Ryoga in the trash when I saw him in the Golden Sun uniform,” chuckled Tiger Lily.

 At the end of the table, Begonia saw Rio look up at the mention of her brother’s name. She narrowed her eyes when silence followed and looked back down at her food. Even in a time such as this, the twins had disagreed on different values and parted their ways. Now they were on opposite sides of the battlefield, leaders of their own squads. A pang passed by Begonia as he imagined him and his brothers on opposing sides. He would never be able to kill any of them.

 “Serves him right,” muttered Rio. “I don’t understand why he’s on the side that took everything away from us. When...our...parents died, they took our home away from us and never gave it back. Now we have nothing because the invasion destroyed it all. Yet he’s still on their side.”

 Tiger Lily was quick to reply.

 “It’s probably because of the heir and Yuma that so many people are on Golden Sun’s side. Without him, the bag of bones we call the Founder would be dead by now.”

 Rio gave a noncommittal shrug.

 As the conversation quieted, Begonia turned to the person besides him. His fellow commander, Dahlia, quietly observed the scene. Intelligent green eyes slowly blinked. The sword that was never far from his reach rested at his waist. Despite an earlier mission that involved combat, Dahlia was immaculate. Even his cravat was neatly tied. Sensing Begonia’s stare, Dahlia turned to face him.

 “Yes, brother?”

 A lump formed in Begonia’s throat as he heard Dahlia address him. He had been the only one who hung onto their old titles. It was only when Moonflower was present that Dahlia used their new names. Swallowing, Begonia calmed himself.

 “How do you feel about Yuma being on the opposite side of the revolution?” asked Begonia.

 Dahlia’s shoulders slumped a bit.

 “Disappointed. But we must do what we must.”

 And with that, Dahlia dabbed his mouth with a napkin and excused himself. The small breeze that followed in his wake chilled Begonia to the bone. On his other side, Tiger Lily glared at him.

 “You know how hard it is for him. So why did you ask?”

 “Because I know almost all of us have ties on the other side,” replied Begonia.

 Tiger Lily snorted.

 “Even you, Thomas. No matter what you say, I know how difficult it will be for you once you have to face him.”

 “I’ve done it before. I’ll do it again,” growled Tiger Lily. “And don’t call me by that name ever again. I am Tiger Lily, one of the commanders of Silver Crescent’s Gardens.”

 The rest of the meal passed by in silence. Moonflower’s words echoed in Begonia’s mind. _We can become a family again._ There were so many cracks in their bonds. How could they all be repaired?

* * *

 

 “...Captain Kurosaki?” asked Begonia as he entered a large bedroom.

 Two heads turned to face him. One had angular features, dark and cold while the other had softer features. They both stood ramrod straight when Begonia addressed them and appeared to have all their attention focused on their commander.

 “Yes, sir?” they asked in unison.

 “Why did you leave the heir?” questioned Begonia. He inwardly winced as he used the distant title.

 There was a small shift in the brother’s posture.

 “Because his family failed to protect our city and family.”

 Begonia turned to the younger sister. She looked straight into his eyes, her magenta eyes bespeaking confidence and intelligence.

 “We were taught that there are two kinds of bonds in this world. The bonds of destiny imposed upon us and blood ties. Although both have potential to be strong, the bond I share with my brother is stronger than the one I shared with the heir.”

 “But do you have anyone else on the other side that you cared about?” asked Begonia quietly.

 Caught off guard, the girl’s eyes widened a bit. Her brother remained still, his expression distant.

 “Unfortunately, I do,” she admitted. “But it will not interfere with my loyalties.”

 “See that it doesn’t. It would be impossible for the both of you to return, wouldn’t it, Shun?”

Shun saluted, two fingers over the side opposite to his heart. The Silver Crescent salute was the opposite of Golden Sun’s. Instead of two fingers over one’s heart, it was two fingers on the opposite side. Golden Sun used the index and middle finger while Silver Crescent used the ring finger and pinky. It was another way for Silver Crescent to ascertain themselves as Golden’s Sun’s polar opposite. They were the only ones to face Golden Sun on the battlefield and they wanted it to remain that way.

 “If we were to be captured, we would be soon be put to death for what we have done,” murmured Shun. “Those markings you flayed off of us were our sole connection to the other side.”

 Begonia nodded.

 “Is it healing?”

 “As much as it can, with the ointments you’ve given us,” replied Shun, his expression unreadable.

 Turning to the younger sister, Begonia gave her a small smile.

 “Is your back healing as well as your brother’s, Ruri?”

 “Yes, sir. Perhaps even better,” replied Ruri, returning the smile.

 “I’m glad to hear that. After all, I want my captains in their best condition for our next outing. Now, do any of you have questions for me?”

 “No sir,” the siblings replied in unison, resuming their attentive expressions.

 “Then I bid you both goodnight,” said Begonia as he saluted.

 The salutes were returned and Begonia turned to leave. He could feel their eyes following him as he entered the empty hallway.


	3. The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things never change, even at a time like this. Somewhere in that wasteland, Christopher was waiting for him. Surely. But for now, Kaito must be faced with more pressing issues.

 Fragment 3: The Sun

“You always find me, no matter where I go,” murmured Christopher. “This time will be no different.”

 Christopher began to walk away from Kaito, his long hair swaying in the wind. He was going to disappear again. After just reuniting with his student. Not wanting the moment to end, Kaito grabbed his mentor’s hand. His mentor turned around and Kaito’s heart leapt to his throat.

 “Find me,” breathed Christopher. “Please.”

 Skin sloughed off Christopher’s face. Kaito saw the muscles in his mentor’s face, crawling with worms. The cheekbones shone white as they ripped through Christopher’s pale skin. Trying to pull away, Kaito realized that his hand was glued to Christopher’s arm. He was paralyzed, forced to watch his mentor melting away.

 “Find me.”

 Those words again. An eyeball fell onto his hand and plopped onto the floor. It melted into the ground, the blue iris the last to go. The empty eye socket now had worms crawling out of it, writhing and white. Melted skin fell onto Kaito’s hand, burning into his flesh. Horror, fresh and sharp, filled him as he looked down at his own hand, which was now reduced to bone. Yet he was still unable to pull free. Another of Christopher’s eyes fell to the ground, thankfully missing him.

 Before Kaito realized it, he felt his skin sloughing off of his face. Like a snake shedding skin, his skin slowly fell off of him. Looking back up at Christopher, he was faced with a skeleton that was crawling with maggots and vermin. He was still paralyzed, unable to stop the insects from crawling onto him. Praying for his demise to be quick, he didn’t see what was happening until it was too late. Before he could shout, he looked up again into Begonia, the skeleton nowhere to be seen. Then back at himself. Flesh stared back at him in return. And the uniform of Golden Sun’s second-in-command was on his body.

 Begonia coldly smiled and Kaito realized that he could move again. Pulling away, he reached for his sword. Turning to Begonia, he was faced with the tip of Begonia’s blade, his opponent’s maniacal smile reflected in the steel. It collided into his right eye, pain exploding across his face. Instantly, darkness filled his vision.

 Jolting awake, Kaito took in a deep breath. A cold sweat broke across his body. Looking around, he realized that he was in his tent. His sword hung from a pole nearby and his uniform was draped over his stack of belongings. The only light was from outside. And that was when another wave of panic attacked him. He could only see out of one eye.

 Running over to his belongings, he furiously dug through them. He had never been one for appearances. The idea of packing a mirror never passed through his mind. But... _There._ He pulled out the old laptop. He had intended it to be a project to be worked on during his free time. So far, free time had eluded him and the laptop remained unresponsive and in disrepair. Looking into the black screen, he bit his lip at his reflection.

 A bandage covered his other eye. Going against better judgement, he undid the wrappings. Only to be faced with an empty eye socket. Memories of his dream flashed by in his mind and he looked away as he imagined the maggots crawling out of his socket.  Hastily redoing his bandage, he then put on his shoes and walked out of his tent.

 “Oh! You’re awake,” said a voice from behind.

 Kaito jumped and then turned around to face Droite. His fellow commander brushed a stray lock of hair away and gave him a sad smile.

 “The medics tried. But we didn’t have the resources to make you another eye. All of the major cell-growing supplies were destroyed when Heartland Tower was destroyed,” she explained apologetically.

 “At least it was Academia who destroyed my home and not Silver Crescent,” muttered Kaito as he walked past Droite.

 He walked around Golden Sun’s camp, brushing away all attempts at conversation. It was a large settlement, situated amidst the rubble of Heartland. The area he was walking through was the innermost section, where the army lodged. On the outer parts of the camp was where the citizens stayed. They came to Golden Sun, their previous government, in hopes of salvation and safety. It was unfortunate how their hopes had been barely realized. Any day, Silver Crescent could attack and the citizens would be the first to perish. At most, there were only fifty guards dispersed around the outside perimeters of the camp. And what help would they be if Silver Crescent came as a whole?

 “Kaito!”

 Kaito turned to face Yuma. The boy smiled at his commander and cheerfully saluted.

 “Thank goodness, you’re alive!”

 “What did you expect?” scoffed Ryoga, another leader under Kaito’s command. “The Barians tried to kill him and look what happened.”

 Kyoji crept out of the shadows and put a hand on Kaito’s shoulder, which was immediately shaken off. The last of Kaito’s leaders had appeared. Before the Academian invasion, Kyoji worked beneath Gauche, Droite and Kaito. He was a last resort for hunting numbers due to his shifty methods and his youth. Even now, he was Kaito’s last resort.

 “You’re lucky you just lost an eye. Be careful next time,” breathed Kyoji.

 A grimace spread across Kaito’s face. Along with Kyoji’s blurry morals, he held no regard toward his superiors. He didn’t know his place.

 “My loss means you three have to be more careful. Go back to your training,” said Kaito as he walked past the three.

 “Yes, sir!” called Yuma from behind.

 Unlike the bright skyscrapers of his memories, Kaito was faced with the sides of drably colored tents. He was close to his destination, if he remembered correctly. Just like Heartland City, the founder resided in the center of the camp. The man he never considered his father was now commanding him to fight his war, yet again. Dirt and broken glass crunched underneath him as he made his way through the camp. He was stepping on the remains of the past and walking towards his future. Unfortunately, he knew it was not a bright one.

 When he reached the dark green tent with a sun emblazoned on its flaps, he knew he had reached his destination. Quietly, he walked in.

 “You’re awake,” said his father as he sat at his desk.

 A map was dimly lit behind him, featuring the bright city of Kaito’s memories. Resisting the urge to remember the smiles of the past, Kaito continued to walk towards Dr. Faker. For reasons unbeknownst to him, he felt a burning rage creep up his heart. It had always been like that, ever since the Numbers War and the World Duel Carnival. The sight of the man angered him and try as he might, he was never able to determine the true reason behind his rage.

 Perhaps it was because the old man took Haruto away from him in an attempt to “cure” him. Or maybe it was because he never told Kaito the true reason behind the Numbers War until it was too late to go back. By that time, his body was beyond saving. It was only thanks to the medicine that he took every morning that kept him alive. Even now he was given a daily dose every morning to combat photon mode’s deteriorating effects. Although he had had no time to duel in the past few months, photon mode continued to wreak havoc on his body. Without his medicine, he would surely be dead by now. There was always a small voice at the back of his head telling him that if he were to abandon Golden Sun, he would also abandon any chance of living.

 He couldn’t do that. Haruto, Ryoga, Yuma, Gauche, Droite… Everyone depended on him. He couldn’t die. Not yet.

 “I’m sorry we couldn’t grow you a new eye,” apologized his father in a quiet voice as Kaito approached his desk.

 “Don’t be,” muttered Kaito.

 His father had apologized for so many things. The apologies began to feel empty and forced after the first few times. Now, whenever his father apologized, Kaito brushed it off. It was a waste of oxygen and time.

 “What brings you here?” asked his father, flinching as he met Kaito’s eye.

 “Battle plans. You’re the general of this army, aren’t you? What else do you expect, when one of your three commanders come to your tent?”

 Sighing, Dr. Faker arranged a pile of papers on his desk.

 “We’re planning to infiltrate the Crescent base soon. Are you in condition to lead the charge? Or should I ask Droite or Gauche?”

 It took all of Kaito’s self control to keep his expression neutral. _Don’t pretend to care when you clearly don’t_ , he thought angrily. Instead of breaking out into a grimace, Kaito undid the bandage over his face and showed his father his wound.

 “This? This is as good as it gets,” muttered Kaito.

 Once again, his father flinched. The anger in Kaito’s heart sparked.

 “What? Does this disgust you? This wound I got from fighting _your_ battles?!” snapped Kaito.

 “N...no...I just…”

 “Give me the battle plans.”

 Without another word, Kaito snatched the papers off of his father’s desk. He skimmed through them, his displeasure deepening when he was faced with the neat diagrams and handwriting of his father. Everything about the man angered him, no matter what it was. When he finished skimming through the papers, he slammed them back on his father’s desk, not caring if he wrinkled the paper.

 “Shun would have done better. Hell, both of the Kurosakis would have done better than you. It’s a pity they died protecting the likes of you,” hissed Kaito.

 “We never found their bodies. They could still be alive,” protested his father weakly.

 Both of them knew how flimsy that excuse was.

 “They died in an explosion during Silver Crescent’s attack. Blown to bits. As if we could find their remains,” growled Kaito.

 “I’m sorry.”

 Those two meaningless words again. His rage was threatening to boil over. Sensing that this would be a good time to leave, Kaito turned around and walked out of the tent. In the distance, he saw Haruto playing with Orbital. His brother’s smile washed away the rage in his heart. Turning towards his brother, Kaito remembered that his bandage had been undone and was left on the floor of his father’s tent. Haruto would be frightened at seeing his wound. Guilt forced him to turn away and bump into Gauche.

 For a few seconds, surprise filled his fellow commander’s face. Then it relaxed into a neutral expression.

 “You should get that checked by the medics. It hasn’t fully healed yet.”

 “Yeah. I know,” replied Kaito. He turned away from Gauche, prepared to walk to the medics’ tent.

 “There’s something I want to show you first though,” said Gauche.

 He stopped mid-step and turned back to Gauche.

 “You’ve been out for two days and in those two days, we were able to catch a big fish...If you know what I’m talking about,” murmured Gauche as he winked.

 Pausing a bit, Kaito searched the man’s features. A conspiratorial smile was on his tanned features. Silence passed between the two as they stared at one another. After a few moments, Kaito gave Gauche a slight incline of his head.

 “Show me.”

 “Gladly.”

 Then Kaito began to follow the young man. Gauche whistled a jolly tune as he went and it greatly contrasted with the bleak mood of the camp. Whatever was caught must have been good news...or as good as it got in times like this.


	4. Scissors and String

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The red thread was so thin and delicate. It would only take the slightest of cuts to be severed.

Fragment 4: Scissors and String

 

 It was an ambush. Out of nowhere, he had been attacked by members of Golden Sun. He fumbled around in the dark, blind to the relentless attacks. What began as a midnight stroll ended as a one sided battle. A whim had cost him everything. And he almost never gave in to his whims.

 He only wanted to see what was left of the city. Waking up in the middle of the night, Begonia felt restless and needed to stretch his legs. As the Silver Crescent base was located on the outskirts of Heartland, the disused duel lodge was not far away. His brain must have still been in the clutches of sleep as he made his way out of the decrepit mansion and onto the empty road. With only the moon to lead him, he slowly walked along the road. When he reached up the stairs leading to the lodge, regret began to creep up his spine.

 There was still time to turn back. Going up all the way would take hours. What if Moonflower needed him? He stood there for a few moments, thinking. After a while, a compromise came to his mind. _I’ll just go halfway up the stairs and enjoy the sight from there,_ he decided. _I deserve a moment of relaxation, don’t I?_

If only he had listened to his conscience. Before he had time to view the ruined city beneath him, he was attacked by a large figure. Darkness followed soonafter. When he finally regained consciousness, he was surrounded by distant sounds of conversation. He woke up to find himself in a dark tent, a small slit of light dimly illuminating his surroundings. Attempting to move his arms, he realized that they had been bound alongside his legs. _Such an unsightly situation..._ he thought, grimacing as he felt the rope chafe his skin.

 How long had he been unconscious? Was Tiger Lily and Dahlia looking for him? Or had Moonflower already continued on without him? No. He couldn’t have. He was one of Moonflower’s commanders... _And his son,_ whispered a small voice in his head. Surely they were looking for him. Surely. Fueled by his hope, Begonia closed his eyes and attempted to free himself from his bonds.

 Minutes passed and Begonia was nowhere close to being free. Undeterred, he continued to attempt to untie the knots that bound him. He felt his nail snag a piece of the rope and cursed as he felt a part of it chip off. His fingers and wrists would be bloody at the end of this, he knew. He had never thought that he was a vain person. Yes, it was true that he was somewhat proud of his long and silver locks, but he had long forgotten about them amidst the war. They had actually been a result of his youthful carelessness. When he was still working under Dr. Faker, he almost never had time for himself and forgot the upkeep of his hair. Before he knew it, his hair had reached his ankles and he had become quite attached to it.

 But there was no time during the war for anyone to admire his hair. It was too impractical, always being tossed about by the winds and getting in the way of running. So he began to tie it up, clear out of his face. Even now it was tied up, although a few loose strands were beginning to fall out. He blew them away and continued to try to free himself. A gruff voice was heard outside the tent. It sounded as if the speaker was in a conversation with someone else. Begonia stilled his hands and listened to the voice.

 The voices got closer and Begonia realized whose voice it was. Gauche. A blurry image of a burly man appeared in his mind. _All those years ago, during the World Duel Carnival..._ Then he remembered the silhouette of his attacker. Also of the same muscular build. He bit his lip. So Gauche had been one of the people who attacked him. But what could he do now, tied up and on the floor? Frustration welled in his heart, but it was then quickly replaced by shock as the tent opened. Alongside Gauche was Kaito. Begonia swallowed hard as he saw his student’s face. The eyeless socket glared at him accusingly and a pang went through him.

 “Begonia,” said Kaito quietly.

  _No, don’t call me that,_ he wanted to say. _Call me Chris, just like always and we’ll wake up from this nightmare together._ The words wanted to fly from his throat like a caged flock of birds, but all he did was glare at his student. His heart wrenched as he heard his student’s harsh voice.

 “Are you aware of the crimes you have committed against Heartland?” growled Gauche.

 “We fight for the liberation of all Heartlandians from their weak government,” replied Begonia, the usual excuse coming out of his throat. He read his script. He couldn’t deviate from it.

 Gauche ignored Begonia’s reply.

 “You have led enemies of Heartland against the Heartlandian Army. You have caused the death of dozens, if not hundreds of valuable soldiers. But the worst crime of all is that you have went against the Tenjo family.”

  _Kaito._ Begonia remained silent and refused to meet Gauche’s eyes.

 “For your crimes, you should be sentenced to death,” declared Kaito.

 His blood turned cold at the sound of his student’s voice. The stillness in the tent was stifling. He heard Gauche’s heavy breathing and the sound of a distant gun being fired. After awhile, Gauche spoke up.

 “I will leave you to it,” said Gauche as he left.

 His footsteps soon faded away into the sounds of the camp. It was then that Begonia looked up at Kaito and winced.

 “You gave me this wound. You have no right to look away,” snapped Kaito.

 He pushed Begonia against a crate. Then he leaned closer to Begonia’s face, blocking out the light.

 “I will spare you this one time,” he breathed.

Begonia smelled the mint on Kaito’s breath alongside another, sharp scent. He looked right into Kaito’s eye. A hint of desperation filled his heart. _Say it..._ a voice pleaded in his mind. _Tell him you are Christopher Arclight...Tell him you were his teacher. Remind him...remind him..._ The voice faded away as he saw the glint of Kaito’s sword.

 “But that does not mean I forgive you for inflicting this wound upon me.”

 He continued to stare at his student, revealing nothing but feeling everything. His heart beat in his chest a little bit louder.

 “Kaito...”

 A small shift in his student’s composure. Begonia’s heart fell as it was quickly replaced with a stoic expression.

 “I…”

 “Save it for your commander.”

 A flash of silver. Kaito pulling away. The sun glinting off of his blade. And the pain on the right side of his face. He let out a shout and felt the blood dripping down his chin and onto the floor.

 “‘An eye for an eye’, isn’t that what they say?” murmured Kaito. “My left for your right.”

 Despite the pain, Begonia saw a tremble in Kaito’s lips. The hand that held the blade was shaking. When Kaito raised the blade again, Begonia closed his eyes and prayed that it would be painless. But instead of death, he felt his limbs loosen and realized that he was free.

 “I will escort you out of the camp. Don’t you dare show your face here again,” growled Kaito.

 They walked through the camp in silence, receiving curious stares. Some recognized him and spat at his feet. A few curses were aimed at Kaito, yet his composure remained unchanged. Kaito continued on, seemingly not caring if Begonia was following him or not. But why would he not follow? He knew that there would be people here who would shoot him on sight without Kaito. If not for the glory of killing a Silver Crescent commander, then it would be for the revenge of a fallen loved one.

 When they reached the end of the camp, Kaito continued walking. The pain continued to throb in Begonia’s face and he attempted to stop the bleeding with his hand. It took all of his self control to not shout in pain. A small spark of hope filled Begonia as his student continued to lead him. Perhaps he would reveal that he was under orders to do this. Perhaps they could run away together. Perhaps…

 His thoughts stopped as Kaito abruptly stopped. They were at the top of a hill overlooking a part of the city. Memories began to spark in his mind as he realized that this was the same place they had come to, so many years ago. There was a moment of silence, as if the world was holding its breath. Prickles of pain traveled up Begonia’s face. His thoughts were still racing, yet his mouth remained closed. Freeing him from the torrent of thoughts was his student’s unexpected farewell.

 “Goodbye, Chris,” murmured Kaito.

 He didn’t look at Begonia as he said that. Another pang, not in his face, but in his heart passed through Begonia. He had called him Chris. Perhaps for the last time. Begonia scrambled to find his voice, but only a small croak came out.

 “Kaito, I…”

 “It’s best if we cut ties here and now.”

 There was a small tremble in Kaito’s voice.

 “This war it’s just…” Begonia was cut off by Kaito.

 “We all have our own personal loyalties. Leave now and continue to live. Stay, cling onto the past and die,” said Kaito, a steel edge to his voice.

 He turned to leave, without looking at Begonia.

 If only he could find a way to make him stay...At least for a few more moments. This was their final time together, after all. Thoughts swirled about in Begonia’s mind. But the only thing came out was a name.

 “Shun.”

 Kaito paused.

 “What about him?” he asked flatly.

 “He lives,” replied Begonia, inwardly screaming at himself.

 He had betrayed Silver Crescent by revealing the Kurosakis’ secret. The sound of gravel underfoot. Kaito had turned around. Now it was Begonia who was not looking at Kaito.

 “What?” breathed his student.  

  Before Begonia could continue, his student’s voice turned into a shout.

 “He’s your hostage, isn’t he?! How dare you…?! He was my most trusted friend! He was raised besides me as my protector and this is how you treat him…?! A hostage?! He is not a prisoner of war! You didn’t even have the decency to send a ransom note!”

  _Most trusted friend._ A pang went through Begonia’s heart. Then...rage and jealousy. Emotions he hadn’t felt in a long time welled up unexpectedly and he felt a need to further hurt his student. He had planned to spare Kaito the truth about Shun. But those words had ruined everything. _Cut your ties. Cut them._ Begonia could almost see the silver scissors and the red thread between them. It was so thin...so infinitesimal...And it would take only the slightest cut to sever them...He picked the scissors up, stopping the shaking in his hands.  

 “He is under my command as one of my captains, alongside his sister,” replied Begonia cooly.

 A choking noise escaped from Kaito.

 “You lie..,” he breathed.

 “They came of their own free will. I could show you their removed tattoos as evidence, if you’d like.”

 When he was answered by silence, Begonia began to walk away. The rage was now only a small, dying flame.

 “Goodbye, Kaito.”

 He saw the scissors on the floor, the silver glinting in the sun, the red thread on the floor like spilled blood. They faded into the air as the flames in his heart died out.


	5. The Black Flowers Holding up the Heavens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurosaki and Tenjo. Intertwined families. The flowers held up the heavens, protecting it with its thorns. The Heavens ruled the people. Together, they shared ties of steel.

Fragment 5: The Black Flowers Holding Up the Heavens

 

 “Why did you let him go?!” snapped Gauche, his balled fists shaking at his side. 

 Without turning around, Kaito said, “It was easier to send a message to the enemy.”  _ Than to kill him _ , a small voice said. He continued to walk towards the inside of the camp, his mind still buzzing with the last of Christopher’s words. Shun and Ruri were still alive. 

 Memories of the explosion filled his mind. The tower crumbling to the ground, the heart crashing onto the ground and shattering into a million pieces. He felt the heat caress his cheeks, he felt the tears sting his eyes. And he remembered the screaming voice in his head telling him to head towards the explosion and save his friends. But all he could do was stand safely away and feel the ashes and heated breeze. Watch his lifetime protectors burn alongside the ashes. Imagine them fighting for their last breaths, struggling against the smoke. See their once rigid faces covered in soot or burnt away. 

 There was no way the Kurosakis could have survived the explosion. They couldn’t have. For if they did, they would have returned to him. To his family. Where they rightfully belonged. Right? They had no other home to return to. Their only loyalties lay with the Tenjos. Throughout his life, he had been taught that he would be protected by a Kurosaki. The two families worked together like two gears. Continuously spinning with one another, powering the city of Heartland. 

 The Kurosakis would defend and fight while the Tenjos would govern and create. The oldest Kurosaki would also be the General of Heartland’s Defense Ministry. They worked closely alongside the ruling Tenjo, formulating battle plans or developing weapons. And the younger Kurosakis would grow up alongside the next Tenjos, being taught to protect them. Just like how Shun and Ruri were with him and Haruto. 

 But Shun was more than his protector. He was his closest friend. Even more so than Christopher. They had been born months apart from each other. Growing up, they sparred with one another. Both knew that Kaito could not be dependent on Shun. Instead, he should also be able to rely on himself.  They patched up each other’s wounds after a long day and helped each other on their class assignments. There had been a point in his life where he spent almost every waking hour with Shun. He remembered their shared meals, their vigorous exercises together. And he remembered the day Christopher left him. 

 Shun had been forgotten in those days with Christopher. Yet when he came into Shun’s room, drenched and miserable, his friend acted as if nothing had happened. He told Shun what had happened as his friend busily peeled off his wet clothes. Throughout the entire story, Shun remained silent. When Kaito finished, Shun nodded and went to get a towel. Yet Kaito held him back, his mind still shaken by the incident. 

 “I’m sorry,” he murmured, the words feeling foreign on his tongue. 

 “For what…?” asked Shun, raising an eyebrow. 

 He looked into Shun’s eyes and fought his beating heart. 

 “For forgetting about you.” 

 An unreadable expression passed by Shun’s face. Yet it was quickly replaced by his usual stoic face. 

 “It’s how it’s supposed to be.” 

 A pang went through Kaito. 

 “No, not for us.” 

 Shun was silent for the next few moments. Then he took in a deep breath and turned around, Kaito’s shirt still in his arms. 

 “Please...Just...stay with me a little bit longer…” 

 He placed the shirt on his bed. Then he walked towards Kaito. What Kaito did next would astonish the both of them. For the first time in his life, he pulled Shun into an embrace. And cried. And cried. His friend didn’t offer any useless murmurings or any soothing advice. Like a solid wall, he remained silent. And sometimes, that was better than any words. 

 “You’re the only one I can trust,” whispered Kaito. 

 Sometime later, in a drunken fervor, he felt Shun’s surprisingly warm lips on his. Had he been the one to pull him in? Or had it been the opposite? Nonetheless, their inexperienced kiss lasted for a few moments. He felt Shun’s hands caress his bruised chest, a result of his many duels with Christopher. Once, he had looked at those wounds with pride, but at that moment, they burned and reminded him of the man that had abandoned him. The one person who would never abandon him, his one true friend, had been right here this whole time. 

 When they pulled away, Kaito had stopped shivering. He was warm, as if Shun had blew a flame into his chest. He rested his head on Shun’s broad shoulder, praying that the moment would never end. He was so tired of being strong. If only he could have a few more moments of vulnerability…Being held by his protector. It was at that moment that he realized that he hadn’t been held in anyone’s arms like that for a long, long time. Not even at his mother’s funeral. This whole time, he had been looking for warmth. The realization brought a fresh wave of tears to his eyes and he let them flow. And Shun had let him cry and whisper to him until dawn.

 Afterwards, they never talked about it. As if that one night never happened. They had made a silent vow to one another. Once and never again. Shun couldn’t—wouldn’t abandon him like that. Although they did not have ties of blood, they had ties of steel. No. Begonia must have been lying to him. That must have been it. Shun had died in the explosion and his loyalty had remained intact until the very end. He would be remembered by the Tenjos as a loyal soldier dedicated to the cause. 

_  Because it was better to be remembered as an angel than to live as a demon.  _ The unexpected thought struck Kaito and his eyes widened. No. Shun was dead, alongside Ruri and Yuto. They were all dead. He shook his head and returned to the present. Reminiscing was a luxury for those who had time. 

 “There you are! Kaito, we’ve been waiting for you!” said Yuma as a way of greeting him. 

 “For what?” muttered Kaito. 

 “The next attack has been planned. The commanders and generals have all been waiting for you!” 

 Without another word, Kaito walked through the crowd and into the center. Droite, one of his fellow commanders stood amidst the ring of captains. When he arrived, she sighed in relief.

 “Now all we need is Gauche. Then this meeting can begin,” she said. 

 As if on cue, Gauche lumbered through the crowd and stood next to Kaito. The captains readjusted their postures and Kaito scanned the crowd. Ryoga, Yuma and Kyoji were under his command. Then came Durbe, Alit and Gilag under Gauche’s command. And last of all were Yamikawa, Luna and Mizael, who were led by Droite. Each captain had 50 soldiers under their command. There were not many people left in Heartland after the Academian invasion. Most had either fled or had been turned into cards. Because Golden Sun lacked the necessary resources, the people were still trapped in their paper prisons. 

 When the crowd silenced, Dr. Faker himself arrived. Kaito couldn’t help but notice that his father was beginning to fold in on himself. The once towering man was now slightly bent over, giving his thin build a brooding, melancholy air. Slowly, he turned to face the crowd. 

 “With input from our new military strategist...I have decided our next course of action. Takashi, would you please..?”

 A young boy with blue hair stepped up. He politely nodded as he received applause.  _ One of Yuma’s friends..,  _ thought Kaito.  _ Still, no one could have bested Shun in his strategies.  _ Then the boy stepped back into the crowd, disappearing. Dr. Faker cleared his throat and took a step forwards. 

 “In two days, we will directly attack Silver Crescent’s base. Their insurgence has gone on far too long. We must destroy it at its root.” 

 There were murmurs of agreement. 

 “We must destroy them before they can destroy us. Before they can go any further…” His father’s eyes turned to Kaito. 

 He instantly turned away in disgust. If this was his idea of an apology, it was cheap. 

 “Luna, you will scout their base in advance. Take two others to go with you.”

 Luna stepped up, her expression filled with determination. She saluted Dr. Faker. As the leader of espionage, she took pride in her position. 

 “Yes, doctor.” 

 “Gauche, you will enter the front entrance as a distraction. Destroy as many as you can.” 

_ Kill. Just say it,  _ thought Kaito irritatedly. 

 “Yes, sir.” 

 “Droite, you will attack from the back entrance.” 

 “Yes, sir.” 

 “And Kaito…”

 His father’s gaze lingered on him for a few moments. 

 “I trust that you and captains Tsukumo and Kamishiro will be able to find one or more of Silver Crescent’s commanders and interrogate him. Captain Kyoji will be joining Droite’s group.” 

 Kaito glared at his father. 

 “Yes, sir!” said Yuma. 

 His father continued to look at him. 

 “Is there something you’d like to say, Kaito?” 

 “No,” he growled. 

 “I assigned you three this mission due to your ties in the past.”

 “You told us to cut them all!” snapped Kaito, feeling an unexpected pang in his heart. 

 “And now I am telling you to take advantage of them. Is there anything else you would like to say, Kaito?” 

 “No.”

 “Then this meeting is done. Disperse and train for battle. We shall have more details later,” announced his father as he made his way through the crowd. 

 The sounds of hands on chests followed. Kaito was not one of them. 

 “May the Sun outshine the Moon!” 

 The army’s motto filled the air and Kaito grimaced in distaste. Unable to take anymore of the crowd, he turned to leave. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled around. Ryoga’s sharp blue eyes glared at him. He had grown quite significantly during the war, Kaito noted. Now he was about the same height as his general. 

 “I’m not excited either about this mission. My sister is on the other side, if you haven’t forgotten.” 

 Pain flickered by Ryoga’s expression. Then it resumed to his usual irritated expression. 

 “Of course, we’re after IV and the rest of his brothers. That’s another thing I am not looking forwards to.” 

 Ryoga let his hand fall from Kaito’s shoulder and he turned to leave. Before he was out of earshot, Kaito turned around and an unexpected sentence came from his mouth.

 “I’m sorry that your sister is on the other side.” 

 He didn’t turn around, so Kaito was unable to see his expression. But the reply had an undertone of sadness to them. 

 “Be thankful that you still have someone who needs your guidance.” 

 Haruto’s smiling face filled Kaito’s mind. He would be absolutely devastated if Haruto was on the opposite side of the battlefield. They had been together ever since Haruto had been born. Raising a sword or a gun to his brother was impossible. He would rather die by his own hands rather than having to kill his own flesh and blood. His blood ties held his heart together. They soothed him in his times of desperation. And he knew that they would always be there. 

 But something distant still tugged at his heart. When he made his way through the crowd, he knew what he had to do. 


	6. Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were so many ghosts in the wartorn city. Sometimes...there were too many memories.

Fragment 6: Memories

 

 The dried grass crunched underneath Begonia’s feet as he walked. Ever since the war, no one had time to care for the world around them. He remembered when he wished that Heartland City’s glaring lights could turn off. They had hurt his eyes and made it difficult for him to sleep, being a young man from the countryside. Now, when night fell, Heartland city was enveloped in darkness.

 There would be a few flickering lights here and there, but they barely helped the situation. They were like the last breaths of the dying city. The only thing Begonia enjoyed about the dark world were the stars. Had there been this many before? When was the last time he had been able to see a beautiful sky such as this? He remembered when Tiger Lily and Dahlia stood besides him, all three enjoying the night sky. For a few moments, it seemed as if they had become Thomas and Michael again. Just three brothers, enjoying the starry night sky.

 But then they looked at the destruction around them and held their weapons closer to their sides. No. They must not look back. Returning to the present, Begonia took in a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings. Still the same destruction. Still the same bleak atmosphere. Nothing had changed. The war still had no end in sight. It was strange to think that this meadow was where a mentor and student went stargazing.

 Of course, both had died in the war, their hearts burned out of their chests, their minds scarred by the horrific sights. They had grown deaf to the screams of the people around them and faced each other on the opposite sides of the battlefield. The path to redemption had been long scratched out for the two. And now, their only choice was to continue to fight in this senseless war. Wounding, killing and mutilating one another. This was their only way of communicating, as meaningful words had been stolen from them a long time ago.

 The pain in Begonia’s eye had ebbed to a small ache. Along the way, he had entered an abandoned medical center, hoping that he would be able to find some bandages. After going through the dark, eerily quiet hallways, Begonia had finally found the nearly empty supply room. Of course. Many had been there before him. It took the very last drawer to find a small, dirty roll of bandages. Beggars could not be choosy in such a time. He would rather use it than bleed out more than he had to.

 After that, he had quickly made his way out of the hospital. He had never liked entering abandoned buildings, scavenging for resources. It wasn’t right, entering areas that had been once so lively. Besides, he would often have to battle emaciated figures armed with whatever weapons they could find. Like him, they had been forced to forget their morals. The invasion changed everything and everyone. If he looked back at his past self,he wondered how much he had changed. Surely, a stranger would be staring back at him.

 Pretending was for the weak. And perhaps...Begonia was weak. Because he still wanted the family in his imagination. Although their faces were blurred in his mind, he saw them at the end of the pathway. One day he would be able to come home to them. And perhaps...perhaps even the young man would come back. His clear blue eyes shining, his bright smile filling his face. If he continued to walk upon this wartorn path, surely it would turn into a garden path of flowers further, wouldn’t it? After all, all suffering had an end. Right?

 “Chris.”

 It must have been his imagination. Begonia shook his head and took a step forwards. This place held too many memories. Even the wind was calling his name in Kaito’s voice. The air stilled as Begonia continued to make his way forwards. But the silence did not last for long.

 Now, the wind called his name more urgently.

 “Chris.”

 Begonia stood still. He must never pretend again. If he did, who knows what else would happen next? Would figures from the past appear to him, with blurred faces and outstretched hands? Dismissing the foolish thought, Begonia focused his attention to the sight in front of him. The remains of a building was in the distance. Its remaining wall looked as if it was about to collapse. A chill crept up Begonia’s back.

 “Chris.”

 A hand grabbed his arm. _Just like that night, when the thunder pounded against the heavens and the rain pelted at his head._ It was the same grasp, the same heated fingers he could feel even through the sleeve of his coat. But if he turned around, he knew that the hand would vanish. The hand was just a figment of his imagination. After all, the foolish boy had died in the fires of the war. But if this was a chance for him to redo that moment, he would take it. Now devoid of any traces of anger against the foolish boy, he allowed the hand to remain.

 “Chris,” called the wind.

 “Yes..?” murmured Begonia, indulging in the fantasy.

 “Look at me.”

 “But if I do, you will disappear,” whispered Begonia.

 There was a pause. Then the hand held onto his arm tighter. An edge of steel filled the voice.

 “I promise I won’t.”

 “Words are meaningless in this world.”

 “Then why do you continue to talk?”

 The young man in his imagination had grown up. Only Kaito in his current age would dare talk back like that.

 “To keep you here with me,” answered Begonia quietly.

 He felt the fingers slacken their hold.

 “I wonder about that,” said the voice, echoing the words his mentor had often said.

 Those words caused Begonia to slowly turn his head over his shoulder. The ghost did not vanish. Kaito stared at him, determination in his eye. He now wore an eyepatch over his left eye, a constant reminder of what Begonia had done. And he still did not release his hand.

 Begonia felt a twinge in his heart as he realized that they were both missing one eye. Yet when he turned around, Kaito barely reacted to the bandage on Christopher’s right eye. Both wounds were inflicted by the other. Was this what they had been reduced to? From mentor and student to best friends to enemies. _Oh how the mighty have fallen._

 Silence passed by for a few moments. Both looked at each other, attempting to read the other’s emotions. It was all in vain as they both wore masks. The slight breeze continued to blow through the scene, its words once again indecipherable. He was real. Kaito was real.

 Taking in a deep breath, Begonia was the first to speak up.

 “What brings you here?” he asked quietly.

 Kaito swallowed. He still hadn’t released his hold.

 “A message,” he replied,

 “And that is..?”

 A flicker of hope passed by Begonia’s heart. For what, he didn’t know. Without another pause, Kaito answered.

 “In two days there will be a direct attack on the Silver Crescent base,” announced Kaito emotionlessly.

 The hope sank into despair. Begonia pulled away from Kaito’s grip.

 “Why are you telling me this?” asked Begonia.

 “To ready yourself. Everyone knows that Golden Sun is supported by the Heartland Government. And everyone knows that Silver Crescent is weakening. One or two wealthy families that have been affected by war can’t support a resistance forever.”

 Begonia looked at Kaito in shock. The words had stung him more than he had thought. Kaito continued to look at him stonily. Revealing nothing, telling nothing. Slowly, Begonia felt his posture slacken. He hadn’t slept in such a long time. The recent news just made a long nap look so much more inviting. His eyebrows creased and a frown appeared on his face.

 “Oh, Kaito..,” he whispered.

 The only reaction was a slight raising of Kaito’s eyebrows.

 “We are just children forced to fight our parents’ wars.”

 A small light came into Kaito’s eyes. Something tugged at his lips. Before he could see what had happened, Kaito turned away.     

 “Let’s get out of here and start over,” Kaito murmured.

 Begonia started. It was such an uncharacteristic and sudden thing for him to say. Despite Kaito’s cold exterior, he was always selfless. Something Begonia could never be. And for that, he deeply admired his student. Now, it seemed as if a stranger was standing in front of him.

 “But...Haruto..,” said Begonia weakly.

 Pain filled Kaito’s expression.

 “ _Faker_ loves Haruto more than me. If we take him, he will definitely hunt us down. And..,” Kaito paused for a bit, looking at the dead grass beneath him. “Haruto also loves his father.”

 Looking back up at Begonia, Kaito once again took his arm.

 “Will Moonflower look for you?”

 He was answered by a nod.

 “So you won’t go?”

 Begonia took Kaito’s cold hand and squeezed it. His mouth was in a thin line. Despite all of his attempts to bond with his brothers, it had always been difficult. It wasn’t easy, forgiving the person who had left you in an orphanage for more than four years. Begonia understood that. To put it clearly, his father was the only one he truly cared about. Would he be willing to leave him? Kaito was leaving Haruto, who was the person he cared about most. It would only be fair for Begonia to leave Moonflower...or Byron. Even if they would be hunted.

 “The war changes everyone, doesn’t it?” he breathed.

 A hardness crept into Kaito’ expression.

 “I’m doing what’s best for us. Don’t lie to me how hard it is for you to kill people. After all we…” Kaito’s voice shook a bit. He swallowed a bit to regain his composure. “We both know how it feels to die.”

 Memories flowed into Begonia’s mind. He shifted uncomfortably as he remembered the feeling of fading into nothingness. Slowly, he patted Kaito’s hand.

 “There’s too many ghosts here for the both of us,” mused Begonia.

 “I can’t spend another day in this place,” admitted Kaito.

 “I can’t bear to run my sword through another friend.”

 “I’m tired of my father’s empty apologies.”

 “We should go far, far away.”

 With those words, the childish whim became a little bit more real. They both knew that it was a selfish, foolish decision. To abandon their posts for an uncertain future was something they would have never done a year ago. But now...when their pedestals creaked beneath their feet and swayed in the wind...The horizon appeared more inviting.

 Another twinge of hope sparked in Begonia’s heart. This time, he knew what it was. A chance for them to become Kaito and Christopher again. A chance at a new life. A chance at redemption. He could see the garden path in the distance, the smell of the roses intoxicating him. Any moment now.

 Gently, he put down Kaito’s hand. Looking down at him, he said two words that would determine their future.

 “To where?”

 A rare smile answered him.

 “To the past.”

 They silently agreed that false hope was better than despair.


	7. Found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They have finally left the city. But why then, has nothing changed? The silence and hatred continues to rule their conversation. The memories of the past continue to rise from their graves. How far must they go in order to put this all behind?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to thank each and every reader! We've made it to 100 views! For this surprising achievement, I think I'll draw something for all of us. Do you think Christopher and Kaito will have a happy ending? Keep your fingers crossed for them!

Fragment 7: Found

 

 Instead of the conversations, the apologies and the arguments he thought that they would have, it was just silent. Only the sounds of their shoes against the overgrown path was heard. _Shuffle, shuffle, crunch, crunch._ They had made it past the duel lodge and soon, they would be arriving at one of the gateways to the city. Kaito prayed that the gate still had power in it. If not, they would be forced to find the other gates dotted around the outskirts of the city. And that would run the risk of running into a member from either faction.

 He held his breath as he saw the road through the trees. They were very close. The paint on the asphalt had greyed and the surface was in need of repair. When was the last time a car had been on this? Shaking his head, Kaito continued on. Begonia’s footsteps followed his. Stepping off of the hiker trail, Kaito began to walk through the bushes and undergrowth. His boots tramped through the forest with ease. Looking back at Begonia’s boots that seemed barely used, he grimaced. When did he ever use them for what they were meant for? He seemed too delicate for trampling through pathless places.

 Now out of the trees, Kaito ran upon the road with a purpose. He could see the lights of the gate blinking up ahead.

 “What’s the hurry?” called Begonia, a few paces behind him.

 “The gate’s up ahead!” replied Kaito.

 “It’s not going anywhere!”

 “What if we’re being followed?” he snapped back.

 Begonia immediately silenced at that.

 Reaching the keypad that allowed entry to and from Heartland, Kaito hurriedly typed in the code. He had the 15 digits memorized by heart, ever since he was a young boy. It was the override code, known only to him and his father. He remembered when his father beckoned him into his office, a place he had never been allowed to go into. The large, impressive screens. The strange inventions littering the floor of the lab. His father in the midst of it all. With a gentle look on his face, he had beckoned Kaito to come closer.  They had spent half an hour together, his father attempting to teach him the code. At the end, Kaito had completely memorized the numbers and his father had tousled his hair. It was one of the closest moments they had ever been to a father and son. At the end, Kaito was left with the knowledge that what he had was very, very important. With those numbers, one could take control of any government piece of technology.

 Not even Shun could know. And he told Shun everything. That was how important those numbers were. At the young age of 8, Kaito had known that Heartland was not a city like any other. And that meant that he was not like others, either. For he was meant to inherit this city from his father. That was when he was still proud of his father, unaware of the things that he would do in the future.

   By itself, Heartland’s technology was far advanced compared to the rest of the world’s. And thanks to Dr. Faker, it had also become one of the most difficult cities to enter. Once the numbers were entered, Kaito stepped back and prayed for the heavy metal door to slide up. At first, there was a reluctant screech. Then the door trembled a bit, as if awoken from a long slumber. It slowly rolled up, the sound of whining machinery filling the silent scene.

 Once it opened, Kaito walked into the tunnel. Dim lights had turned on to light his path, some of them flickering. His footsteps echoed hollowly as he made his way through. The door on the other side had also rolled up. He ran towards the opening, knowing that he had 5 minutes before the gates closed again. The override code was for emergencies, not everyday use. After all, it was only so common for the mayor to require an object to be overridden...or his heir.

 The title made Kaito grimace. Soon, he and Begonia would leave all of this behind. Then...then they could just start over. In another city. Maybe even in another country. Far away from this wartorn wasteland. He felt a breeze from the outside world and took in a deep breath. Something about it was different from the city air. For one, it seemed a lot more clear, despite Heartland’s strict clean air policies. Once he was out and into the fresh air, he looked behind him. Begonia was still halfway through the tunnel.

 He slowly walked out into the daylight. Surprise filled his expression as he saw the grass and greenery.

 “It’s as if...nothing happened here,” he breathed.

 Kaito nodded grimly.

 “It just shows how isolated Heartland is. We were able to contain the damage inside the city. Those Academians never even made it out here.”

 Begonia took in a deep breath and took a step forwards.

 “Where to?”

 “We’re walking until we find a car,” muttered Kaito, silently cursing his spur-of-the-moment decision.

 “What about Orbital?”

 “Can’t bring him. The old man would be able to track him.”

 He heard a sigh from Begonia.

 “We can’t go back now,” Kaito said flatly.

 He knew that he couldn’t risk using the code again. He heard the telltale whir of machinery and knew that Heartland had closed itself off to him.

 “We’d attract too much attention, getting our ship. Besides, it would attract further suspicion due to Heartland airspace being closed..,” mused Begonia. “My vehicle was destroyed in the invasion…”

 “ _We’re walking,_ ” growled Kaito.

 Once again, silence filled the conversation. The trees and roads stretched far ahead. Kaito sighed. What had happened to the mentor and the apprentice? He tried to recall the feelings of awe when he met Christopher. When he reached the end of the well of emotions, he was dismayed that everything had been replaced by hatred. It was a suffocating, burning emotion.

 So this was what he had been reduced to. Looking at Begonia, he felt a twinge of annoyance. Just the way he walked reminded Kaito of his mentor’s arrogance. What he had once taken for a noble stature had turned into a swagger. Nights of pondering had turned his mentor’s encouraging smiles and remarks into patronizing actions. From the very beginning, Christopher had never seen him as an equal. He would always be underneath Christopher….That was what all of the admiration had turned into.

 And, much to his frustration, he did not know how to turn it back.

 

* * *

 

After awhile, the trees began to thin out. The road became wider. Yet the silence continued. The sun had begun to set and Kaito eyed it warily. Hunger began to find its way into Kaito’s stomach. He ignored the feeling and continued to walk. There was a time and place for being hungry. Now was definitely not the time. Besides, what was there to eat?    

 “Will you please call me Chris again, like you used to?” asked Begonia quietly, as if he was afraid of disturbing the silence.

 The unexpected question struck Kaito. He turned around and looked at the man he had once called his mentor. Still, the twinge of hatred tugged at his heart. _You should keep on calling him Begonia to spite him,_ a voice whispered to him. _Make him pay._ As childish as it was, Kaito almost considered the choice. But civility won out and he answered quietly.

 “Sure.”

 Then the silence crept back into the scene. He heard Begonia—no, Christopher, sigh. If a name change was what he thought would be the solution, he was dreadfully wrong. Christopher brought back the name of the person who had abandoned him in the rain. Sopping wet and cold. It also brought back memories of Haruto’s endless bouts of suffering. Kaito formed a fist as he heard his brother’s cries replayed in his mind. Even after the WDC, he had never found the heart to forgive Christopher and his family for that one night. Now, he wasn’t sure if he would ever forgive him.

 Rolling hills began to fill the scenery and Kaito knew that they had reached the outskirts of the countryside. His legs had screamed for him to stop hours ago. Looking up at Christopher, who continued to walk as if he had just started brought another twinge of anger to Kaito. No. He couldn’t appear weak in front of him.

 “We’ll rest at the first house we see,” decided Kaito.

 Christopher nodded.

 “But what if they won’t let us?”

 “When they see my face they will.”

 Although it was not the best of reassurances, it was all Kaito had. Using force was not something he would consider. He hated using his position to his advantage. Heartland had nothing to do with him, so why must he be related to it? It was easier for him to be called the Numbers Hunter than The Heir. For one, the Numbers Hunter was something he had created for himself. A phantom of the night, a legend. Some reviled him, some admired him. This was a title he had rightfully earned.

 Whilst he had no choice but to be called The Heir. Although it was frequently used by members of Silver Crescent, the title had been used in the offices of Heartland Tower ever since he had been born. He had been born into the title, like a tag to call him by. Merely being born into the correct position was not enough for Kaito. He needed to do something to earn the title, to help the people...to truly be recognized as the heir and not someone who was placed on the stage and given the title without another thought. Something he disliked was the fact that everyone accepted him as The Heir. There were no protests, no groups wanting to undermine his position...until now.

 After Mr. Heartland had been exposed for the criminal he truly was, the people unanimously accepted the Founder as the mayor. There wasn’t even an election. It was ironic how they were unaware that the man they had voted for had been the one who put Mr. Heartland in the seat of power in the first place. In a way, the power structure didn’t change at all. Heartland went from a mayor who no one remembered voting for to a mayor who had been in charge the entire time. Democracy had never existed in Heartland City. It had never died in the first place, as it had never even existed. Silver Crescent had seen that weakness and exploited it after the Academia invasion. Those who had wanted their freedom flocked to the rebel group. Those who believed that Dr. Faker did more good than bad joined Golden Sun. Of course, they weren’t aware of the brunt of his actions during the WDC. Kaito let out a low exhale. And that was how an entire city came to ruin.

 The sun was well beneath the horizon when he saw the house. It was decently sized, nothing like the large mansions he knew existed deep into the countryside. He suspected that one of them was where the Arclights had grown up in. But the house up ahead had none of the rose gardens, gaudy fountains and statues. Kaito pointed at the house to Christopher and received a nod. All of the lights at the front were turned off. In the dying light, he could see the light blue walls of the house cast shadows onto the lawn.

 Coming closer to the house, he realized that weeds had surrounded the house and the grass had grown to unkempt lengths. No one had been here in awhile. Warily, he walked up the steps leading to the door. He prayed that the creaking steps would hold his weight. Gingerly, he stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door, just in case. No one answered. He turned back to Christopher, still a bit unfamiliar with his new appearance.

 He had no longer allowed his hair to sway in the breeze, free of all trappings. Now, he had his hair gathered beneath his neck. Looking closer, his hair had been tied into braids and then gathered into a bun. Despite being in such a tumultuous time, Christopher still managed to look elegant. Something close to grudging admiration found its way in Kaito’s heart.

 “Do you have any hairpins?” he asked.

 Without a word, Christopher dug into his hair and took out a pin. A part of a braid came loose onto his shoulder. He made his way onto the porch, the steps creaking in protest along the way. Handing Kaito the pin, he looked at the house’s surroundings.

 “This would have been a nice place to live. Although...it is a bit too close to the road for my liking,” noted Christopher.

 Kaito grunted in reply and began to pick the lock. In the dim light, the task was significantly more difficult and he sighed. When the door finally swung open, he stepped into the house and flicked the switch closest to him. The house continued to remain in darkness.

 “Check for candles, Chris. This house doesn’t have any power,” he called.

 “We should look for other sources of light, too,” said Christopher as he made his way past Kaito.

 There was an air of stillness in the house, as if everything had held its breath. Kaito went through the rooms of covered furniture, opening up cabinets and drawers. _Nothing._ He went back to the living room and sat on a covered couch. Dust flew around him and he sneezed. Somewhere upstairs, he heard Christopher walking around.

 Exhaustion and hunger filled every fibre of his being. Despite the feeling, he stood up and yanked the covers off of the couch. Taking off his shoes, he lay down and closed his eyes. At this time in the camp, he would have been taking his medicine. The stray thought caught him off guard and his eyes opened. A flutter of panic filled his heart. His medicine. Sitting up, he looked around. Dread crept up his spine and he stared at the heavy curtains. All feelings of hunger had been momentarily forgotten.

 How long would he be able to last without his medicine?

 


	8. The Chessboard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were all pawns, doomed to die before they could see who won. As the clock counts down the hours to the attack, Christopher and Kaito need to decide for once and for all where they will go. If they come back, they will never be able to leave. But if they continue on their journey, they will be cast into a world that knows nothing of their story.

Fragment 8: The Chessboard

  “Where do you belong?” breathed a voice from behind.

 Christopher whirled around, only to be faced with his younger self in a mirror. Innocence still shone in those clear, blue eyes. A boy barely out of childhood.

 “Are you an Arclight or a Tenjo?” sneered another voice.

 Turning towards the sound, Christopher saw himself in another mirror, drenched in rain, the long, black coat doing nothing to stave off the wetness. No longer a child, a cruel expression filled his face. The face of a man who had been betrayed and hurt.

 “Does blood mean nothing to you?” murmured V.

 “Do steel ties mean nothing to you?” demanded a younger Christopher, his lab coat swirling around his knees like mist.

 “Or perhaps...deep down...you belong nowhere. Under all of these layers...you are just a husk,” breathed the final voice.

 Christopher felt the speaker’s breath against his ear, the tickling sensation sending chills up his spine. Slowly, he turned around and was face to face with Begonia. The bandage over his right eye was covered in blood and the one remaining eye glimmered with malice.

 “Who are you, really, under all of these identities?” questioned Begonia as he began to circle Christopher.

 “I..,” he was unable to come up with an exact answer, his mind unable to process the question.

 Begonia continued to pace around Christopher for a few moments, as if he was looking for something. His expression was unreadable as he looked at Christopher from head to toe. Only his footsteps, ever so softly padding across the floor of strewn papers was heard. Then, he walked behind Christopher and once again whispered into his ear. A tone of pity rang in his voice.

 “A killer? I think not,” murmured Begonia as he faded away.

 Christopher felt the breeze on the back of his neck and took in a deep breath. Looking ahead of him, he was once again faced with his younger self. Pity filled his younger self’s face, strangely befitting such delicate features. The lab coat and braid continued to flutter in the invisible breeze that carried him about. His voice was soft as he spoke.

 “Father’s most loyal son? I think not,” said his younger self as he also faded away.

 He had a point there. Abandoning his father’s side at this crucial moment was far from loyal. Even if he was told not to address Moonflower as such. But blood could not lie.  In place of his younger self was the rain drenched man he had once been. His eyes held a mournful expression in them, as if he had lost everything. How long ago had it been when Christopher had cast that identity into the rain for V?

 “Are you the kindly mentor?” his reflection asked, sarcasm dripping with every word. “I think not.”

 He then disintegrated into ash, leaving a sick feeling in Christopher’s stomach. When he looked into the mirror again, he was faced with cold and calculating V.

 “Are you the pillar of this mess we call a family? I think not,” V breathed as his body began to crack.

 Looking away, Christopher was faced with yet another reflection of himself. This was the version of himself he hated seeing the most. Those innocent eyes almost always seeming to be on the verge of tears. The neatly tied braid. Those clean pressed clothes signifying a privileged and relaxed life. The picture of innocence. A boy who had never been stained by the dirty world outside.  

 “Are you the loving brother Thomas and Michael have grown up with? I think not,” whispered the young boy.

  _Crack!_ The mirror that Christopher faced was now covered in spider-web like cracks. The boy was nowhere to be seen. Instead, he was now looking at himself. And this...pathetic image of a dishevelled man brought a further sense of self-loathing into his mind. Who was he, exactly? He wore a different mask towards everyone he had met. If he took all of the masks off, would there just be a pile of dust?

 His reflection shifted uneasily. V’s long, silver locks was now tangled and matted. The cold man’s proud posture had turned into a tired slump. His younger self’s sparkling eyes had dulled into that of a man who had seen too much. Dark circles were under his eyes and his skin had a pale, sickly look to them. Was this the man under the mask?

 “I...am..,” Christopher began.

 But the next words died in his mouth. Swallowing, he tried again.

 “I am…”

 Yet again, the words died before he could hear them.

 “I am…”

 “Christopher.”

 “V.”

 “Chris.”

 “A brother.”

 “My son.”

 “A friend.”

 “A mentor.”

 Voices filled the room and the once silent scene erupted into cacophony. Sometimes it was Byron’s voice. Sometimes it was Kaito’s. And sometimes it was his brothers. He even heard Yuma and Dr. Faker in the distance. Christopher covered his ears and closed his eyes. He felt a throbbing in his head and squeezed his eyes tighter. The voices were too much. When he opened his eyes, he was once again in the bedroom of the abandoned home. Light filtered through the moth bitten curtains and Christopher rose. Slowly making his way downstairs, he began to hear coughing.

 “Kaito?”

 The coughing didn’t stop. Arriving in the kitchen, Christopher saw Kaito bent over the sink, his hand on his mouth. When he pulled away, blood stained his fingers. Involuntarily, Christopher gasped. Meeting his mentor’s face, Kaito grimaced.

 “When we left, we forgot to take my medicine,” he wheezed.

 Looking out the window, Christopher pursed his lips.

 “We could return to the camp and-”

 He was interrupted by Kaito holding up a hand.

 “We go back, we will never leave again. Remember? Tomorrow’s the day of the attack.”

 Christopher’s expression froze on his face. Kaito was correct. Today would be a decisive battle in deciding who would rule the city. But...If they didn’t come back for the medicine…

 “You’ll die,” breathed Christopher.

 “We all will if we go back,” growled Kaito. “Maybe when they find out that we’re missing, they’ll postpone the attack.”

 So that was why he wanted to stay here. To avoid people being unnecessarily killed. It was then that Christopher realized that Kaito also had people he cared about on the other side. A civil war was cruel in that sense. Often, friends would find each other on opposite sides of the battlefield.

 “I didn’t know that Photon Mode still affected your body,” said Christopher flatly.

 “Always had,” replied Kaito laconically.

 “How long do you have left?”

 “Long enough.”

 The two looked at each other, attempting to read each other’s emotions. But neither could read each other’s expressions, for both were wearing masks. Suddenly, Christopher felt the pressure of the months spent hating Kaito return to his mind. He had never hated Kaito in the first place, but had always hated his father, even before the war. Because he was weak, he decided to “hate” Kaito. Dr. Faker was far too powerful for him to hate. Besides, he couldn’t do anything against the man, so why waste emotions on him? But he could hurt Kaito. _Oh yes, he could hurt Kaito. Break him, even._ Memories of that dark, rainy night came to mind. He took in a deep breath and decided to break the silence.

 “Have you ever been so consumed by hatred for one person that you’ve forgotten how to reconcile with them?” Christopher murmured.

 There was a flicker of emotion in Kaito’s eyes. What it was was unknown to Christopher for it was too fast a change.

 “Yes. More than once,” answered Kaito.

 “So you keep on hurting them and sometimes...they keep on hurting you?” whispered Christopher.

 A tremble in Kaito’s lips.

 “Yes.”

 Another uncomfortable silence followed.

  “Why do you wish to die?” asked Christopher quietly.

 Much to Christopher’s surprise, Kaito was quick to reply. His eyes had a sadness in them and his voice shook when he spoke.

 “My father only keeps me alive for his own selfish reasons. He views me as an extension of himself.”

 This was something Christopher was able to relate to. A small voice urged him to tell Kaito but he felt another voice telling him to hold his tongue. As Kaito’s mentor, he knew that Kaito disliked pity. Something else he knew Kaito disliked was sympathy and someone trying to relate to him. So he kept silent and allowed his student to walk away.

 Turning Kaito’s words over in his mind, he realized that from the tone Kaito spoke in, it was something that he had just realized. Perhaps it had always been there, a tiny thought at the back of his mind that he did not allow to grow. Until he was far away from Dr. Faker and isolated from the rest of the war. Silence and isolation did things to mind, forcing it to explore places it had never wanted to in the daylight. Looking at his student’s back, Christopher murmured to himself.

 “We have always been pawns, haven’t we? Doomed to die on the board before we can see any side win.”

 Hearing his mentor’s words, Kaito turned around. Sadness filled his features, something akin to the face he had made on the night he had been left in the rain.

 “Go back or continue running away, we will all die someday,” said Kaito.

 

* * *

 

 They left the abandoned home an hour later. As the sun rose higher into the sky, Kaito’s coughing had increased. After a few hours on the road, the blood had returned to each cough Kaito had. Christopher could sense that Kaito was weakening. Both of them were hungry and thirsty, the result of their hastily planned departure. But Kaito would never ask to stop. He was too proud for that.

 As the sun reached the middle of the sky, Christopher led Kaito to a copse of trees. Their shade was welcome in the midst of the day. Easing himself into the grass, Christopher kept a close eye on Kaito. Throughout the entire day, he had a feeling that all would be meaningless if Kaito died. Where would he be, all alone in the outside world without anyone he knew?

 Another coughing fit had wracked Kaito’s body. Trying not to look, Christopher turned his attention towards the direction back to Heartland. It would be easy to go back. Yes, he would most likely die in the attack, but he had sacrificed himself before. If it meant that Kaito would become well again, he would gladly give his life for that. A few more coughs followed and Christopher felt prickles creep up his back. At this rate, Kaito did not have long.

 Sneaking a glance at his friend, he was dismayed to see a puddle of blood before his feet, the green grass stained a dark red. In the shadows, Kaito seemed frail and weak, bent over himself. Christopher pursed his lips.

 “If you die, this will be all in vain,” declared Christopher. “If we go back now, there’s a chance we could return to Heartland by midnight.”

 “I’d...rather...die..,” coughed Kaito.

 “It’s going to happen either way,” whispered Christopher. “I’d rather die with you than die alone.”

 At that, Kaito silenced. He looked at his mentor with a sad expression.

 “You want to go back?”

 An almost imperceptible nod answered him.

 “But I don’t _want_ to rule Heartland,” confessed Kaito, his face unusually sad.

 “You won’t,” promised Christopher, the gears in his mind turning.

 He put a gentle hand on Kaito’s shoulder, almost afraid that it might break. Making sure he was looking into Kaito’s eyes, he finished.

 “Because I know a way where we can both get our...happy ending.”

 ... _Or as happy as it got in this wartorn city,_ Christopher thought with a sad smile. After all, sacrifice was something he and Kaito had experienced before. Surely, they wouldn’t be afraid to sacrifice themselves a second time.

 


	9. Prelude to the Symphony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is rare for all of a human being's dreams and desires to come true. Some may even say that it is impossible once the warhammer of reality arrives. The two can no longer hide in their sweet euphoria, once blood had fallen onto the ground.

Fragment 9: Prelude to the Symphony

They arrived at the gates of Heartland when the moon was high in the sky. It was eerily silent. Not a single creature of the night was heard. Kaito shifted uneasily and leaned against Christopher’s shoulder. His head was pounding and his vision was blurred. Throughout the day, he had coughed up countless amounts of blood. Without his medicine, he knew that he would not have survived for long. The journey had been pointless the entire time. There was a dull ache in his heart as he beheld the sight in front of him.

His father had just been keeping him alive to serve him. The realization of the fact had affected him more than he expected. Slowly, he went to the keypad and typed in the override code. With a tired creak, the gates began to open. He could see the forest on the other side and swallowed. Soon, it would be as if none of this had ever happened. By the time dawn struck, he would be back to being General Tenjo and Christopher would once again be Begonia. Cinderella was allowed only one night with the prince before everything turned back to what it truly was. The clock would strike twelve soon.

With the help of Christopher, Kaito made his way through the tunnel. Their footsteps echoed hollowly against the cracked asphalt. Each step took them further away from their imagined future. When they made it through to the other side, Kaito heard the telltale sound of the metal door closing. He bid farewell to the dream that he could have had with Christopher and attempted to steel his heart for what would come. Quietly, they crept through the undergrowth and back into the woods. Silence filled each step towards the city. Perhaps Christopher was also saying farewell to the future they would never be able to have.

“The best laid schemes of mice and men...Go often askew..,” murmured the tall man as they made their way through the trees. “Have you ever read that poem?”

Kaito gave a noncommittal shrug and tried to ignore the pain in his chest.

“Was never one for literature. But this scheme was far from well-planned,” he mumbled.

The sound of feet crashing through the undergrowth suddenly filled the sky. Voices melded with the cacophony and lights suddenly filled the forest. Before Kaito knew it, he and Christopher had been surrounded. A silver crescent badge shone on the leader of the group and Kaito’s blood ran cold.

“Commander Begonia..!” exclaimed a voice that Kaito thought he would never hear again.

It was unmistakable. He had known that voice ever since he was a small child. The last time he had heard that voice was before the Heartland Tower exploded for the second time. Yellow eyes, turquoise hair, and the gentle smile only reserved for him flashed through Kaito’s mind. His protector...His friend… _Shun._ So Christopher had been right. Shun was still alive. He looked at the man in shock. Something unreadable flickered across Shun’s face in return. Was it regret? Anger? Kaito bit his lip and attempted to push away the feeling of nausea that threatened to crash over his mind.

“Step away from our commander, General Tenjo,” warned a female voice.

Another jolt of pain flashed through Kaito’s body. The unmistakable smoothness of Ruri’s voice joined in with her brother’s. So they were both alive. And refused to protect his family. Kaito had been betrayed twice now. Once by Ryoga as Nasch and now by the Kurosakis, who had once been his family’s protectors. Mustering up all of the strength he could, Kaito attempted to make himself sound strong despite the pounding in his head.

“You have no right to command your superior to step away. Don’t forget it was my family that clothed and fed you,” Kaito warned.

“Once this revolution is over, there will be no need for children to be forced into their parent’s footsteps..,” said Ruri.

An unexpected smile made its way through Kaito’s mouth. In a situation like this, it was such a strange thing to hear Silver Crescent’s propaganda be uttered by the Tenjos’ once most staunch supporters. It almost made his heart want to break in two.

“So, history sees another revolution promising freedom for all.” A chuckle bubbled up Kaito’s throat but was quickly stifled by a cough. “ _Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité_ …See how far that gets you. There will be a period of turmoil after the bloodshed...If you indeed win.”

“Silence!” snapped Ruri as the sound of a sword being unsheathed was heard.

“Kill me then,” goaded Kaito. “Kill the person you were supposed to protect and see what happens.”

Ruri made a step towards him, her eyes glimmering with rage. A grimace filled her expression as she gripped her sword tighter. Quickly, Shun held her back.

“That would not be wise..,” he murmured.

Giving Kaito one last look, Ruri stepped back into place and sheathed her sword.

“Out of all the people that would betray me..,” began Kaito as he turned towards Shun. “I would never expect that it would be you.”

Unexpected shock filled Shun’s eyes. So. He did have something resembling a conscience. There was a tense moment of silence. Then, much to the surprise of everyone, he knelt in front of Kaito. His voice came out slow, filling the copse of trees.

“It is not you who I fight against...But the system of oppression your father has instilled upon this city. My love for you...remains as strong as ever.”

There was raw emotion in Shun’s tone and Kaito couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart.

“But not your loyalty..?” breathed Kaito.

Another long pause. An owl hooted and the sound of wings flapping away was heard. Shun then stood up, remorse in his eyes.

“Perhaps...we may be able to reforge our frayed ties one day,” he said as he turned towards Christopher. “It is time to come back, Commander Begonia.”

Once again, Christopher had donned the mask of Begonia. He gave a curt nod and made his way towards Shun.

“...Do not worry, Kaito,” he whispered as he went. “I know how to end this war.”

Kaito watched the group of Silver Crescent members turn their backs towards him. After they had made a few steps, Kaito called out, “Will you not take me?”

The group stopped and Shun turned around.

“Perhaps another day, General Tenjo,” he said without a trace of the emotion he had shown moments ago.

And then they disappeared into the trees, leaving Kaito alone. The feeling of nausea washed over him and the pain returned. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath and then stumbled along the dirt path. _Soon…_

 

* * *

  


“Kaito!” shouted Yuma as he rushed to his general’s side. “Are you alright?! What happened..?!”

“Get me to my tent..,” mumbled Kaito. “I’ll be fine.”

He had barely made it to the camp. Thankfully, a soldier had recognized him and was able to bring him to Yuma. Now, there was pain in every step and blood trickled out of Kaito’s mouth.

“You’re not going to be fine!” shouted Yuma. “You’re bleeding!”

“My medicine…”

And that was all he was able to say before he collapsed.

 

* * *

 

“... _Niisan! Niisan!_ ” called Haruto.

Blearily, Kaito opened his eye.

“..wh..what..?”

“Where have you been?!” asked his brother fearfully. “I thought you were dead!”

Slowly, memories of yesterday filled Kaito’s mind. Why did they seem so long ago?

“My medicine…?” he whispered.

“An emergency dose,” said a voice from behind.

Looking over to his side, he saw his father behind his desk, a resigned look on his face.

“Honestly...just what were you thinking, leaving us like that? For goodness sake, the strike is tomorrow,” chided his father.

Christopher’s melancholy smile flashed by. Kaito bit his lip and grimaced.

“You’re only keeping me alive because I serve a purpose for you,” growled Kaito, standing up.

His father was instantly taken aback.

“Kaito…”

“Will you cry if I die in tomorrow’s battle if our side wins? As long as I serve a purpose, you see me as a tool,” said Kaito, anger rising to his voice.

“That’s not at all how I see you..,” said his father.

“Then what am I?!” Kaito snapped as he stood up. The world spun and he held onto a nearby pole for support.

“A son. And my most loyal soldier,” replied his father quietly.

“If I was not a soldier, would you still keep me alive…?” asked Kaito, his voice suddenly soft.

Only silence answered him. His father’s expression was unreadable. Before it could get any worse, Kaito turned around and walked out of the tent.

“Niisan!” called his brother.

Kaito paused. He heard the sound of running behind him and turned around to see Haruto.

“Go help Orbital and Obomi count the rations,” he said quietly.

“No!”

The act of defiance caused Kaito to raise an eyebrow.

“Why must you always be so snappish towards dad? He’s trying his best,” said Haruto, a frown on his face.

“You don’t understand..,” murmured Kaito.

“Then make me understand!”

Kneeling down, Kaito rested a hand on Haruto’s shoulder. His voice became gentle and his eyes met Haruto’s blazing eyes.

“You’re only 8 years old. I’ll tell you once you’re older. It’s...a difficult topic,” reassured Kaito, a lump forming in his throat.

His brother’s lip trembled and he pulled away from Kaito.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Then Kaito turned around and walked away. His heart felt heavier with each step. He knew that the promise may not be fulfilled. Tomorrow, he would be facing Christopher on the battlefield. And tomorrow, many would die. Something told him that this would be the last night some of his comrades would be able to live. He took a turn towards a certain tent and opened it without warning.

Out of the gloom, a voice greeted him.

“So. You have risen from the dead... _again,_ ” remarked Ryoga, a hand on his chin.

“It’s hard to kill me, isn’t it?” retorted Kaito.

“Sometimes I wonder what you truly are.”

“A mortal, just like everyone else,” replied Kaito as he entered the tent.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’d like to talk about your sister.”

Ryoga’s features seemed to sadden a bit. The edges of his lips tilted down a bit and his blue eyes narrowed. They seemed accentuated as his thin eyebrows knitted in remembrance. His shoulders slumped and his chin sunk deeper into his hand. There was something vulnerable about him in that brief moment and it was then that Kaito remembered that he was still only 16...if one didn’t count his life as Nasch.

“What do you want to talk about?” asked Ryoga quietly.

“What if you meet her tomorrow during the strike?”

Pain filled Ryoga’s expression and Kaito knew that Ryoga had often considered that scenario.

“...She’s my sister, isn’t she? Blood ties...are..,” Ryoga trailed off and his hand formed into a fist.

Kaito waited for Ryoga to finish. He watched the emotions play across the boy’s face and felt a sense of empathy for him. Then, the conflicting emotions hardened into a grimace and Ryoga looked back up at Kaito.

“We are siblings first and enemies later,” said Ryoga, his voice shaking with emotion.

A nod answered him.

“I respect your choice. You made a wise decision,” murmured Kaito as he stood up. “I wish mine would have been as easy.”

He exited the tent and made his way towards his. Taking in a deep breath, he entered and was surprised to see Droite awaiting him. When she saw him, she stood up and turned on the naked lightbulb. Instead of her usual calm demeanor, anger filled her elegant features.

“Kaito! Where were you? Not telling us where you went caused us all to panic! You could have been killed for all we had known…!”

“And what would the old man care?!” snapped Kaito.

Instead of backing away like she used to, Droite met Kaito’s anger with her own.

“Then think of the people who _do_ care for you! It just isn’t about Dr. Faker! Besides..,” she said, her voice softening. “I’m so tired of seeing you get hurt for foolish reasons. _You_ are the army’s top general, second only to your father. Where would we be without you?”

That caused Kaito to pause for a bit. His heart began to slow and the shaking in his fists stopped. Droite’s flushed features were also beginning to return to her normal skin tone. After a few moments, Kaito saw the toll anger had taken on Droite. Her eyebrows were knitted in worry, her eyes filled with tears and her shoulders slumped. The dark circles around her eyes told of a restless night.

“Why must you continue to hurt yourself?” she whispered. “I’m so tired of seeing you like this.”

Once again, the anger had resurfaced in Kaito’s chest. He narrowed his eyes.

“Leave me be.”

Silently, Droite stood up and glided out of the tent. Now alone, Kaito sunk into his cot and buried his face in his hands. He would soon see what Christopher had mean by “happy ending.” And he wasn’t sure if he was ready for it or not.

  
  
  



	10. Re:Birthed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moon cannot shine without the sun, so what will happen when the sun goes to reclaim his light?  
> Once the dust clears, all will be revealed.

Fragment 10: Re:birthed

“And they died, just like that?!” shouted Thomas angrily, looking at the book in his brother’s hands.

“I’m afraid so..,” murmured Christopher as he retied his braid. 

“Why didn’t they get a happy ending…?” sniffled Michael. 

 The young boy of 15 pursed his lips. Perhaps reading the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to his younger brothers wasn’t such a good idea as he had initially thought. He gently rested his hand on Michael’s head and ruffled the soft curls beneath it. His blue eyes grew distant as he replayed the final moments of the play in his mind. Romeo and Juliet’s splayed bodies filled the cold crypt, their hands intertwined. In his imagination, both of the teenagers wore a sad expression on their faces. It was as if they had known that their love was going to end in tragedy from the very beginning.  

 “Because...because sometimes...people don’t get happy endings,” replied Christopher quietly.

 “That’s because they were stupid,” interjected Thomas. “Smart people like you and father won’t get stupid endings like Romeo and Juliet.” 

 Christopher couldn’t help but let out a laugh. With his other hand, he ruffled Thomas’s unruly locks. 

 “Sometimes, smart people also get sad endings.” 

 Thomas pulled away from his brother and stuck out his tongue. 

 “Smart people don’t kill themselves just for the stupid sake of love.” 

 Another chuckle came from Christopher. 

 “Love comes in many ways...and some forms are stronger than others.” 

* * *

  
  


 “Unit 2, ready!” shouted the voice of a young man. 

 “Ready!” shouted 60 troops.

 The sound of boots stomping on the cold earth followed. A rising moon highlighted the soldiers’ grim features. 

 “Prepare to disperse! Kamishiro, find the lesser commanders of the Silver Crescent army! Tsukumo, you are to come with me to hunt down Begonia, Tiger Lily and Dahlia.”

 Taking a deep breath, Captain Kaito Tenjo surveyed his army and saluted. 

 “May the Sun outshine the Moon!” he shouted, ignoring the pain in his heart. 

 

* * *

 

 “We may not see the sun rise again..,” murmured Moonflower as he watched the last rays of sun disappear behind the horizon. 

 “As long as I can see the stars one last time...I can rest in peace,” said Begonia, a quaver in his voice. 

 “...if I can see Yuma one more time...I think I could settle with closing my eyes for the last time,” said Dahlia, his emerald eyes filling with tears. “There are some nights where I wonder what we would be doing had there been no war...Would we be smiling right now?”

 Besides him, Tiger Lily grimaces.

 “There’s no use thinking about what could have happened. The damn Academians invaded, we killed them, blamed the Founder, started a war with him and tore the city in half. And now here we are...Preparing to die. But  _ I  _ won’t die. I’ve done it once and I have no intention of doing it again for a long time,” he growls. 

 Over the horizon, a black mass was moving steadily towards them. Begonia could almost hear the sound of hundreds of boots marching. He could feel Dahlia shaking besides him. Tiger Lily narrowed his eyes and turned around. As always, he was the first to take action. Begonia grabbed his arm and Tiger Lily whirled around, the anger on his face increasing. But his expression softened when he saw his Begonia’s face. 

 He thought he saw the brother he had lost all those years ago. The same, sad blue eyes framed by silver lashes. The same, melancholic smile. It was the same expression Christopher had given him after their mother had died...which had quickly turned into tears. That was when he knew that something irreversible was going to happen tonight. That expression was  _ not _ that of a cold-hearted commander...But the face of a young man trying to be brave for an uncertain future. 

 In the same voice he used when he delivered the bad news that their father had disappeared, Begonia said, “No matter what you do, please remember that I have always loved you...and continue to love you to this day.”

 Gently, he let go of Tiger Lily’s hand. To Tiger Lily, that had affected him more deeply than any other sharp word from Byron or Christopher. He felt his chin tremble and he quickly turned around. 

 “Yeah. It’s the same over here,” he replied as he walked into the dilapidated mansion. 

 Once Tiger Lily had left, Begonia turned to Dahlia and patted him on the shoulder. 

 “I wish you the best of luck in battle. My one wish for you tonight is that you continue to live to keep our memory alive,” whispered Begonia. 

 The young boy did not reply. Instead, he embraced Begonia, a shudder shaking his body. Begonia felt the tears on his coat and did not mind. 

 “I love you, dearest brother,” sobbed Dahlia. 

 “I love you too, Michael,” replied Begonia. 

 When Dahlia pulled away, Begonia turned to Moonflower, who was watching the advancing army draw closer and closer. Facing his father, Begonia knelt on one knee. The leader of Silver Crescent slowly turned his head. 

 “It is an honor to serve you, Moonflower.” 

 His commander nodded his head. 

 “May the moon illuminate your battles,” said Moonflower solemnly.

 “Thank you, sir.”

 Begonia’s one regret was that he did not have the courage to address the man as his father one last time. Too much had happened for him to use such a word anymore. Looking at the approaching army, Begonia took in a deep breath.

 “They’re here,” announced Dahlia. “It is time to pay the sun his due.”

 

* * *

 

 

 Everyone knows that the moon cannot shine without help from the sun. Without the sun, the moon is just a rock in the sky. That’s what Kaito was thinking as he entered the dilapidated mansion, long after Ryoga’s troops had entered. The sounds of fighting came from outside, for most of Silver Crescent’s troops had been flushed out by Droite, Gauche and Ryoga. Only the dying remained on the ground floor. It didn’t matter to him. His true mission was upstairs. Besides him, Yuma surveyed the destruction that surrounded them. He shifted uncomfortably and made his way around the room. 

 “The stairs are down the hall,” he noted. 

 Nodding, Kaito followed him. The entire house was lit by dim light bulbs. Some were flickering and some had broken, leaving only an exposed bulb. He picked his way through the glass and went down the mildewy hall. 

 “Do you think we’ll find the commanders up there?” asked Yuma, his voice echoing across the hall. 

 Kaito shushed him quiet. Yuma gave him a sheepish smile and headed up the stairs. With each step Yuma took,  Kaito could hear the stairs creak. He felt a twinge of worry as he took his first step. The stair took a turn higher up and he saw that there, Yuma had stopped. Increasing his speed, Kaito was soon next to Yuma and saw what had stopped him. The sounds of crying, ever so quiet was heard. It was mournful and sounded eerie in a dilapidated mansion such as this. In the hall facing a side of the stairs was a room with its door opened. Unlike the other dim parts of the mansion, this one was filled with light. Slowly, the two approached the room. 

 When they saw what was in the room, they froze. Yes, this was the source of the crying. But it was from a surprising source. It was from someone they had thought would never cry. She had went onto the other side once the war began and almost everyone dreaded the possibility of fighting her. Sometimes, Kaito thought that she was more vicious than her brother. It was none other than Kamishiro Rio. And in front of her was Ryoga, splayed on the floor, his uniform soaked with blood. 

 Bullet holes covered his body and red bloomed across his chest. His eyes were still open, wide in shock. There was a mixed expression of betrayal and sadness on his face. That was when Kaito knew that it was Rio who had killed her brother. The gun besides her lay abandoned, bullet shells surrounding it. A pang went through Kaito’s body as he saw him and Haruto in the same situation. Would Haruto have willingly killed him too? 

 “Did...did he die with honor…?” whispers Kaito, a chill creeping up his back. 

 The sobbing subsided and Rio slowly turned her head. Tears stained her cheeks and they shone in the light, yet a strength continued to burn in her eyes. Her voice was unusually calm.

 “He couldn’t bring himself to kill his younger sister,” she replied. 

_ Kill.  _ A word that was almost never used in the Golden Sun camp. The word felt like a slap to Kaito’s face. It brought the realization to life, that word.  _ Kill.  _ His ally, his...friend...had died. Clutching the gun in his pocket, Kaito attempted to stifle his anger. 

 With one hand, Rio feebly pointed to the gun on the floor. 

 “I emptied the entire cartridge on him...I didn’t know why...why I couldn’t stop...And now...it’s empty..,” breathed Rio. 

 What brought someone to do such a thing? Kaito would never know. He loved his brother too much to even think of committing such an appalling act. His heart began to beat faster in his chest. His head began to feel light as the smell of blood clogged his senses. A few moments passed. Then, Rio unexpectedly grabbed Kaito’s hand. The one that was holding the gun. Her grip was surprisingly strong as she angled the gun towards her temple. Yuma shouted out a warning and leapt forwards but Kaito held him back. 

 Tears had reappeared in Rio’s eyes.

 “Kill me, too,” she begged.

_ Kill.  _ Unexpectedly, Kaito’s hand began to shake. He had done this so many times before, so why…?  _ Kill.  _ That word had never been used in his missions. It was only the cold and distant words of “eliminate” and “erase.” Never kill. 

 “Rio, you don’t want to do this..,” pleaded Yuma. 

 The girl—because that’s what she is at the tender age of 16—shakes her head and holds the gun closer to her temple. 

 “I killed my brother because I was scared he would kill me if  _ I _ didn’t. I should have known better...Silver Crescent ruined me. He...he would have never killed me, even if his life depended on it. After all, we’ve been together for more than a thousand years..,” she whimpers, her final words coming out as a whisper. “...So please..Let me rejoin him.”

 Kaito can’t take it anymore. A girl, still so young deciding to end a future full of possibilities was absurd. He pulls his hand away from her temple and her cries fill the room. Her nails dig into his sleeve and another hand grasps his. 

 “Stop it!” shouts Yuma as he tries to pull Rio away from Kaito. 

 “You’ve killed before so why stop now?!” Rio screams. “Even before the damn war, you stole souls!”

 Her hand grasps his hand with unexpected strength and he feels himself pull the trigger. The shot echoes across the room and Rio falls back. Yuma lets out a shout but it’s too late. Now, two bodies lay on top of each other, soaking in each other’s blood. The smoke from Kaito’s gun emits a noxious smell of gunpowder. His hand shakes like never before and he collapses on his knees. Nausea fills his body, but it’s a different feeling from when he was sick. Although he did not know her very well, they were acquaintances nonetheless. 

 “K-Kaito! Wh...why did you..,” Yuma trails off as he sees Kaito’s haunted expression. 

 “It was an accident..,” Kaito whispers. “She…”

 Another wave of nausea and he covers his mouth. And then, another voice fills the room. It’s soft and soothing, something you wouldn’t expect in a place such as this. 

 “Kamishiro Rio. A fine leader...under Tiger Lily’s guidance…”

 Yuma turns around and his eyes widen in shock. 

 “III!”

 Attempting to regain control, Kaito looks over his shoulder. The young man in the doorway looks past him with an unreadable expression. Slowly, he walks in. With each step, the sword sheathed at his side clicks against its scabbard. His shoes, scuffled and worn seemed out of character for someone like him. 

 “My name has changed yet again, unfortunately. It’s Dahlia this time,” he replies. 

 “Must we fight?” whimpers Yuma.

 There is an almost imperceptible nod from the young commander. Sadness fills his emerald eyes as he slowly unsheathes his sword. 

 “It isn’t fair for you to go against two,” notes Yuma. 

 Dahlia turns to Kaito and...bows. The unexpected movement takes Kaito aback. 

 “My brother is waiting for you in the next floor. Please proceed.”

 “And Tiger Lily?” asks Kaito, raising an eyebrow. 

 “He is outside, fighting alongside the rest of our commanders.”

 “Your leader?”

 The young man smiles slyly.

 “Gone.” 

 Kaito grimaces and stands up. He holds his gun closer to his body. Without another word, he slowly walks out of the room and up the dilapidated set of stairs again. When he reaches the third floor, he stops in shock. The wall in front of him has been torn away, revealing the battle scene beneath him. Screams of the injured and dying could have been heard from up here. Spots of lights dotted the landscape and the shadows danced about. In the dim moonlight, it was impossible to tell which side was which. The faint smell of gunpowder and blood made Kaito grimace. This was war. There was nothing glorious about it.

 Out of the dark, someone utters his name.

 “Kaito,” calls a voice that isn’t Christopher’s. 

 He turns to the remains of a hall on his right. At the end of the hall is Shun, slowly walking towards him. There is a haunted expression in his face and Kaito can’t help but feel a flash of worry. But it’s soon replaced with anger as the deserter comes closer to him. 

 “I owe you nothing,” snaps Kaito. 

 There is a brief flicker of hurt on Shun’s face but it then hardens. 

 “As your protector, I must tell you that I am worried about what Begonia wants,” he says quietly. 

 As much as Kaito would like to give in to Shun’s lies, he doesn’t. Shun is no longer his protector.  “Anything that comes out of you is a lie,” growls Kaito. “What was I to you?”

 He can’t help but ask that question again. There is a brief pause from Shun. After a moment, he replies in a gentle tone. 

“My most dearest friend and leader..,” murmurs Shun, allowing tenderness to fill his voice. But after he takes in a deep breath, he returns to stone. “I want you to see the day Heartland can be at peace again.”

 Kaito laughs—laughs in Shun’s face. It comes out cold and harsh and it strangely suits the sounds of the battle raging below them. 

 “Coming from a deserter like you, I find that laughable.”

 Shun’s eyes narrow and he grabs Kaito’s arm. Quickly, Kaito pulls away in disgust.

 “When I joined Silver Crescent, I did not join to fight you. I came to fight the unjust rules of Heartland. No matter what, you are still in my heart. That is why I can never point a sword at you.”

 “You are dead to me,” hisses Kaito. 

 The words hit Shun harder than he expected. He turns around towards the stairs and takes a step forwards. A moment of silence follows. To Kaito, it seemed as if time had frozen. What did he just say? Could he take it back? No, he couldn’t. Those steel ties had been cut. Shun takes an audible breath and time continues again.

 “My one last wish is that I hope you are careful when you enter the first room on the left,” he says.

 Kaito doesn’t look at him. He doesn’t see Shun’s trembling lips and balled fists. Instead, Kaito walks towards the room that Shun warned him against and opens it. 

 “Chris,” he says. “Do you have your plan ready?”

 The man in front of him nods and slowly approaches him. There is something sad in his expression, but Kaito can’t tell why. 

 “Let us head downstairs and wage a battle in the midst of the turmoil to show everyone what war has done to two best friends..,” he whispers. 

 Kaito’s blood chills as he hears those words. Behind those words, there is another meaning. But what? 

 “It’s just for show, isn’t it?” asks Kaito. 

 “Of course.”

 “Where is Moonflower?”

 “Off to pay your father a visit.”

 Fear ignites Kaito’s temper. 

 “What?! He’s not going to—”

 Begonia shakes his head. 

 “None of us are sure what will happen. But you may assume the worst if you’d like.” 

 Haruto’s smile fills his mind and Kaito feels himself taking his gun and pointing it towards his ex-mentor’s temple. The man in front of him remains eerily calm. 

 “If you’re going to do that, do it in front of everyone. As proof that war has turned us both into monsters.”  

 Once again, his hand shakes and he doesn’t know why. Gently, Begonia rests his hand. 

 “Let us give them a performance they won’t forget.”

 

* * *

 

 The hot wind swirls around them. Surrounded by sounds of battle, they ready their weapons. Who is the man standing before him now? Begonia, no, Christopher, no, Begonia….he can’t tell anymore. Who was he? What was he defined by? He can’t remember in this moment as he unsheathes his sword. All he knows now is that he is defined by killing. 

 The man in front of him also unsheathes his sword, although both know he isn’t as skilled as his opponent. They run towards one another and the sparks fly. Begonia strikes harder than expected and the man in front of him stumbles back. Shock fills his eyes. 

 “Isn’t this just for show?!” he mouths. 

 Christopher can’t reply because he doesn’t actually know. Instead, he continues to attack. His vision blurs and he continues to swing. The man feebly blocks, shouting at him to get ahold of himself. Christopher allows himself to be pushed back. Begonia pushes back in anger. Slowly, he begins to feel something burning his eyes. It slowly goes down his face and off his chin. Tears. At such a time. 

 Deep down, he knows this is wrong. He shouldn’t be here, fighting his student. Slowly, he can feel Christopher regaining control, allowing Kaito to win. Begonia lets out a shout of defiance. But before he knows it, he has fallen onto the cold, packed earth and Kaito has straddled himself over his body, sword dangerously aimed at his neck.

 “Chris..,” breathes Kaito, sweat beading his brow. There is a tremble in Kaito’s voice as he says words that Christopher can’t hear. Because all that matters is the first word.  _ Chris. _

 Yes...that’s who he is. Christopher smiles and blinks the tears away from his face. Without hesitation, he knows what he has to do. What Kaito has to do. 

 “Kill me,” Christopher breathes.

 Horror fills Kaito’s expression. 

 “No..,” whispers the young man. 

 “I’m tired of being defined by who I kill and what I destroy. I want to go back to being a brother and a mentor. I want to be Christopher again,” says Christopher, his voice breaking.

 “Y...you will...after the war ends..,” reassures Kaito.

 Christopher shakes his head. They both know that it’s a lie. 

 “People are only reunited after a tragedy. Kill me.”

 “Your death  _ won’ _ t prove anything,” asserted Kaito. 

 “It will. You must trust me,” breathes Christopher. “If you love me in any way, shape or form, please kill me.”

 Kaito shakes his head. His hands are trembling.

 “...why…?” he whispers. 

 “You will see soon.”

 “I  _ can’t  _ kill you…”

 With all the strength he can muster, Christopher gives Kaito a stern expression. It was the expression he had often given Kaito when he had activated a wrong card or stumbled over the effects of a card. Sharp, serious and intimidating. His word was law. 

 “Kill me,” commands Christopher. 

 Kaito hesitates for a bit. He holds Christopher’s expression for a bit and then turns away. Those deep blue eyes had pierced through his soul. Taking in a deep breath, he takes his sword in both hands and raises it. His hands begin to shake but he moves forwards anyways. Calmly, Christopher closes his eyes. The last thing Christopher can see is the tip of the sword shining in the moonlight. He had been waiting for this. At the very last moment, Kaito’s hands let go of the sword and it clatters uselessly to the ground. Christopher’s eyes flutter open. Something he thought he would never see had just happened. 

 His student was crying. Weakly, Kaito collapses and buries his head in Christopher’s neck. Somehow, somewhere deep down, Christopher knew that this was going to happen. Kaito loved him too much to kill him. He smiles and reassures Kaito with one hand. His other hand is grasping for the fallen sword. 

 “I love you, Kaito. I’ve always admired how strong you were. I think, throughout my entire life, I’ve been waiting to be found by someone like you…” murmurs Christopher as he can feel the sturdy handle of the sword in his fingers. 

 “I...I’ve been chasing you..,” Kaito weakly replies. “Searching for you…”

 Christopher’s reassuring hand slows down. He allows the sounds and smells of battle to fill his senses. Then, he raises the sword. 

 “Do you want to end this nightmare?” breathes Christopher.

 He feels Kaito’s nod on his shoulder. Smiling, Christopher slowly lowers the blade.  _ O happy dagger, _

_ This is thy sheath.  _ A suitable quote at such a time like this. Once again, the faces of the two dead youths fill his mind. Taking in a deep breath, Christopher readies the blade.

 “Then...let us wake up from this nightmare...together..,” he whispers into Kaito’s ear. 

 With a steady hand, he gently pushes the blade through Kaito’s torso and then through his. Strangely, he is numb to the pain. In a daze, Kaito weakly pulls away from Christopher’s shoulder. The blood trickling from his mouth melds with his tears, dripping onto Christopher’s neck. A look of surprise fills his face. Kaito tries to say something, but only blood comes out of his mouth. And all Christopher could do was smile, for he was out of words and could hear voices calling for him in the distance.  _ There rust and let me die. _  
  


 

* * *

 

 

“Kaito! Kaito! Where are..,” Yuma trails off as he sees the two bodies in the midst of the battlefield. 

 The sun’s rays were beginning to fill the sky. Behind him, Michael lets out a scream of grief. After the brief battle with his friend, he had relinquished his new name and took back his old one. No war is worth losing a close companion over. Together, the two run to the bodies. Both had been impaled by a sword through the torso. It was difficult to tell whose blood was whose. When they got closer, the expressions on the bodies seemed eerily calm. One could even say that Christopher had a smile on his face. 

 Michael collapses on his knees and begins to cry. This was what war did to people. Yuma reassures his friend, crying alongside him. 

 They spend what seemed like a few hours, but actually a few minutes, mourning the loss of their friends and family. Wiping away the last of his tears, Yuma stands up and surveys the bloody battlefield around him. He forms a fist. 

 “They died in order to end the war...We must not let their deaths be in vain.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, I do not have time to draw anything for this story...But I do hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter! 
> 
> Do you think what Christopher did was right? I still don't know myself...  
> Please keep an eye out for a new story (that continues this AU) in the future! 
> 
> What a wonderful present for Christopher on V day. Death.  
> Once you think about this...this kind of is a Romeo and Juliet story.


	11. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the book closes...is it truly the end?

Epilogue

 

 Moonflower and Dr. Faker stand side-by-side, facing two newly erected graves. On a sunny day such as this, it is strange to witness such a somber scene. The two armies stand on opposite sides of the Heartland cemetery, but no feelings of animosity can be felt. Family and friends had died on both sides during the battle. Silence fills the scene as Moonflower kneels down and presents his son’s grave with a bouquet of wilted flowers. Fresh ones were almost impossible to find in a place like this. In turn, Dr. Faker gingerly places a bouquet of wildflowers on Kaito’s. 

 The sound of a child crying can be heard as Haruto made his way to his brother’s grave. Shakily, he places his brother’s crescent shaped duel disk besides the flowers. Next came Moonflower’s remaining sons. With haunted expressions, Michael and Tiger Lily presents their brother’s grave with his duel disk and deck. It seems almost like a normal funeral, save for the armed armies on each side. 

 The families stand there, facing the graves without exchanging a single word with each other. But nothing needs to be said. 

 Even if Michael has thrown away his name as Dahlia, Tiger Lily remains Tiger Lily.  Even if he did not show it, he loved Christopher. He was more of a father to him than Byron ever was and his loss tore a hole in his heart. He’s still ready to fight. Still ready to see the Tenjos fall. And many others share the same sentiment. On the Silver Crescent side stands Ruri, her hands balled into fists. Her teeth are clenched. After all she and her brother had done for Kaito, it ended all in vain. He was supposed to be the ruler of their reborn city. But now he was dead. Now they must find a new leader to crown and amidst this crowd of fools, she can only think of one decent person who has a chance of ruling...if they are able to survive their battle wound.

 On the other side of the cemetery is Yuma. He can’t see much through his veil of tears, but he knows that this is far from over. More people will die. Kaito does not deserve to see a future where the city he fought hard to protect ends in ruin. But he cannot forgive Silver Crescent for having a hand in killing his friend. Besides him, Droite observes the funeral with a tear streaked face. She should have tried harder to convince Kaito...perhaps she could have prevented his death. Perhaps she could have saved him. Died in his place. But it was too late now. Looking at the other side of the cemetery, she glares at the Silver Crescent soldier facing her. He glares back.  _ Traitor  _ she mouths. Shun gives her the Silver Crescent salute. Anger fills Droite’s heart but before she can take a step forwards, she feels Gauche’s hand on her shoulder. Taking in a deep breath, she composes herself. She will take his life in the next battle. Separate his head from his shoulders. She swears on Kaito’s grave. 

 Perhaps the death of the two sons did not mean anything. Perhaps their deaths only fueled the people’s anger. 


End file.
